Presentation from the Southern Africa School Librarians Conference. How did we turn the dream of developing a whole school reading culture at Stewart’s Melville College into a reality. How did we get the idea on the agenda of the management team, how was the idea developed and how was it executed on a practical level.

1. Developing a reading
culture in your
school
Duncan Wright
School Librarian
Stewart’s Melville College, Edinburgh, Scotland

2. Erskine Stewart’s Melville
Schools
The diamond structure

3. We are all readers
• Write down the title (and if possible) the
author of
• Your earliest memory of a children’s
book
• A favourite book from your childhood
• A book that you are reading currently
• Share with your partner

4. Barriers to developing a
reading culture in your school
• What barriers can you see to
implementing a reading culture in your
school?
• OR
• What barriers have you had to overcome
to implement a reading culture in your
school?
• Share with your partner

5. How to work with the SMT?
• How would you raise the proposal of developing
a reading culture with your School Management
Team (SMT)?
• Does the school have a process that allows
ideas to be discussed?
• Could you raise the issue with your line
manager?
• How could you garner support for the idea
before taking it further up the chain?
• Share with your partner

6. Raise the profile of reading in
your school
• Discuss with your partner one short
term goal that would raise the profile
of reading in your school

7. What did we do?
• Read of the week P1 – S6
• Junior School Newsletter
• Principal addresses Parent/Teacher meetings
• Parents are Readers Too!
• Holiday Reading
• Whole school reading (DEAR)
• Reading survey