Year 6 pupils in Wales prepare for reading Journeys and Adventures

Published on: 24 February 2021

Thousands of Year 6 children across Wales will be receiving special Journeys and Adventures book packs this week from BookTrust.

Each pack contains a selection of fun fiction, non-fiction and activity books, all chosen to encourage children to get excited about reading. Over 8,000 children are set to benefit from the programme in the coming months.

The Journeys and Adventures packs include titles by celebrated authors and illustrators from Wales including Manon Steffan Ros, Huw Aaron, Elin Meek and Valeriane Leblond.

The project will support children in Year 6 who have not had access to high quality books over the last twelve months due to lockdown, and who are therefore likely to have missed out on the educational, social and creative benefits of reading. English and Welsh versions are available, with supporting bilingual materials.

Helen Wales, Head of BookTrust in Wales, said: ‘We’re thrilled to be able to offer these special packs to children in Wales. Year 6 pupils who are preparing to enter secondary school have had a particularly tough time over the last twelve months. Their teachers have given us so many reasons why they want to take part and encourage reading for pleasure, from creating much needed communal experiences for children, to re-engaging with learning, overcoming the reliance on digital devices and building their knowledge of the world through books. They’ve also really emphasised children’s need for relaxation and escapism at this time.’

Catherin McMahon, Professional Learning Adviser (English Language & Literacy) for the South East Wales Education Achievement Service, said: ‘Providing children with such high quality books to treasure at home means that they can read to escape to a world of imagination and adventure, read to empathise with people who have overcome extraordinary trials and keep reading them to their hearts content. For their teachers, knowing that the children have their own copies of such excellent reading material helps them continue to promote the importance of reading and the enjoyment to be found in a book!’

Journeys and Adventures is part of the BookTrust’s ongoing work to support children who have been most affected by the Covid pandemic and school closures and ensure that children in Wales continue to have opportunities to enjoy books and become confident, independent readers. It is funded by the Welsh Government.

Find out more about BookTrust Cymu