Boy reading by Quentin Blake Maisy and Charley Toddler reading - by Quentin Blake Quentin Blake illustration of father and child reading Quentin Blake illustration Maisy and friends Quentin Blake - cat reading

Get involved in Up for Reading

To get involved in Up for Reading simply
follow our 10 easy steps:

10 easy steps to success
with Up for Reading

  1. Start by ordering your Up for Reading fundraising pack - today!
  2. Set a week, between now and 31st March 2008, to be your Up for Reading week.
  3. Decide how you will integrate the Up for Reading daily reading time within your usual literacy activities. You could read to younger readers in a group or they could read with assistance in the classroom or at home. You could ask older readers to read by themselves in class or at home. You might find it useful to refer to these example teaching resources.
  4. Publicise your Up for Reading week in your school or nursery newsletter, to let parents and carers of children at your school/nursery know about the event. You may want to put up some Up for Reading posters around your school - there are copies in the fundraising pack, or you can download and print extra copies.
  5. At the start of your Up for Reading week:
    • explain to the children in your school or nursery about the Up for Reading event, and that you will be asking them to read or listen to books for a few minutes each day at school or at home
    • hand out the sponsorship forms to each child and tell them how many minutes per day you would like them to read during the Up for Reading week - you may need to help them fill in their name and time on the sponsorship form so that it is clear
    • please explain to the children that they should only approach family and friends for sponsorship - they must never approach strangers for money or go knocking from door to door to collect sponsorship
  6. Encourage the children in your school and nursery to read or listen to books each school day during Up for Reading week. You may like to inform your local TV and newspapers about your fundraising activities.
  7. Ask your children to return the sponsorship forms at the end of Up for Reading week along with any money collected.
  8. Collect the sponsorship forms at the end of the week and give each child one of the Up for Reading stickers you will find in your Up for Reading fundraising pack.
  9. Count up and bank the money received. Please write a cheque for the amount collected and send to us with the Up for Reading sponsorship forms.
  10. Return the Up for Reading sponsorship forms by post to The Down Syndrome Educational Trust so we can enter each child's name into the prize draw.

After the event

When we receive the money raised by children at your school or nursery, we will send you a 'thank you' letter confirming the amount you raised, along with a special Up for Reading certificate recognising your achievements.

We will also put each child's name into the prize draw and if your nursery or school has raised over £50 we will also put you into the prize draw for £500 in National Book Tokens.