What is the impact of the Reading Road Map on attainment and child engagement in different genres?

This study was designed to investigate the impact of an initiative designed to boost engagement in primary reading, the Hackney Reading Road Map. The initiative created by the Islington School Library Service is provided at a cost to state schools, and it is therefore important to consider the return on investment. It is not a scheme of work nor a structure to adhere to, but a supplementary reading provision designed to provide a balanced structure of cross genre reading. Class teachers in Year Five, were asked to conduct a questionnaire to assess pupil attitudes to reading and their willingness to read outside of chosen comfort genres. A control group in Year 4 were also used to support comparative perspective. Children were given access to 40 books of varying genres and an engaging way of recording what they had read, split into genres. This system was supported with a reward system of certificates to acknowledge different milestones throughout the course of the research. The research is based around one school term of contact with the reading initiative.