Read Hour
Resource type: Event
Price band: Free
Key stage: KS1, KS2, KS3, KS4, KS5, Adult
Region(s): All of UK
The Read Hour initiative challenges everyone to read for one hour on 8th September, which is UN International Literacy Day. The aim of the campaign is to raise awareness about the importance of reading and to inspire children and young people to read more.
The official Read Hour will be held between 2pm and 3pm, but schools and families can hold their own Read Hour at any time that suits them. Pupils can read on their own, with friends or with their family, and all forms of reading are encouraged – it could be a storybook, a book of non-fiction, a comic or magazine.
Cost: Free
About Read Hour: The Read Hour campaign originated in Finland, where it has been running since 2019. In 2021, the campaign expanded to include the UK, Sweden, Estonia and Iceland. The aim of the campaign is to highlight the importance of reading and to halt the decline in literacy among young people. Read Hour is administered by The Children and Youth Foundation.
Further resources:
- Download activity sheets, lesson plans, a poster and other promotional resources featuring the Moomins, the official mascots of Read Hour, here.
- With themes that reinforce the message of Read Hour, ‘The Invisible Child’ episode from hit animation Moominvalley is free to watch on Sky Kids YouTube channel from 8th-11th September.
- Follow authors and celebrities who are supporting Read Hour on social media using the hashtags #ReadHour and #ReadHourUK. You can also share your own reading tips and pictures.
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