32 boys gain 15 months in reading age after 12-week no-pressure book club
A trial from October 2024 to February 2025 tested a new kind of book club with no expectation to read. The focus was on conversation and book talk in a relaxed setting. One school measured reading ages for 32 boys before and after using STAR Reading Assessment data. Their reading ages grew by an average of one year and three months. That compares with five months for their year group overall. The study involved 17 school libraries across the UK, from the Shetlands to Torquay, and more than 400 children. Of those who took part, 84 percent said it was worthwhile and 60 percent reported being more interested in books and reading afterward.
The approach more than doubled typical reading progress for one group of struggling readers. A free toolkit now allows other schools to try the same method.
Source: New Social Reading Spaces Toolkit (sla.org.uk).
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