Primary Times - the definitive what’s on and where to go family guide of activities and events for children of primary school age. Things to do with your kids during the school holidays including arts and craft activities, music and theatre for children, parties, competitions, days out, and family attractions along with term time drama schools, dance classes, after school clubs and sports activities. Things to do at a place near you!
National Literacy Trust Euro 2020 Reading Challenge
Inspired by the UEFA Euro 2020 tournament, the National Literacy Trust is working alongside The Football Association (FA), Rebellion Publishing and award-winning author Tom Palmer to help pupils get into reading through their love of football this summer.
There are two new and exciting ways to get children involved in the charity’s literacy activities. The first is a new Reading Challenge in the shape of a UEFA Euro 2020-inspired reading wallchart and the second is an online story by author Tom Palmer in June, which will be published three times a week ‘live’ throughout the UEFA Euro 2020 tournament, kicked off by a live Zoom webinar event with the author on day one of the tournament.
The new Reading Challenge involves a wallchart reflecting the tournament fixtures with recommended book titles twinned with participating countries ‘playing off’ against each other. Children will have ‘book matches’, to ultimately find a class favourite, and find out which title will be crowned champion of Europe!
Pupils are encouraged to read their chosen text and participate in ‘book matches’ where they will present three points about why their title should progress in the tournament, followed by a vote from the whole group or class to see who goes through. At the end of the tournament everyone commits to reading the winning text in celebration.
The reading challenge is also part of 11 exciting curriculum-based challenges that can be found in The FA’s UEFA Euro 2020 Schools Pack, which you can access from here. The Pack includes activity sheets, teaching guides, and classroom display resources.
What’s more, the first 1,000 schools to sign up get a free physical poster! The wallchart resource which allows pupils to follow the progress of each other’s texts, instructions and sign up information can be found here.
On Friday 11 June at 10.30am, the National Literacy Trust will run a live Zoom webinar event with Tom Palmer, aimed at children aged 7 to 12, in which they’ll be able to ask questions about football, reading and writing. Sign up to take part in the event for free. Register here today!
This will include a live reading of the first chapter of Tom’s story he is writing as the tournament unfolds, featuring characters from his Roy of the Rovers books – Roy and his sister Rocky – to excite children and young people about reading during the tournament.
The story will be written in 12 ‘live’ chapters that will be released during the tournament on the National Literacy Trust’s Euros resource page at 7.30am every Monday, Wednesday and Friday. Supporting worksheets and video content will also be available.
A recording of the live event with Tom Palmer will be available to watch at any time on the National Literacy Trust’s website here: literacytrust.org.uk/euro20