HHCP Conference 2023: Motivating Reading for Pleasure through Informal Book Talk – Teresa Cremin

Teresa Cremin, Professor of Education (Literacy) at The Open University, UK, and co-Director of the Literacy and Social Justice Centre. In order to develop a love of reading, research indicates the marked value of ‘informal book talk’. Often spontaneous and child-led, such relaxed book blether, combined with book recommendations on the part of children and adults is highly motivating. It helps to build connections, affinity networks and relationships that both develop and sustain children’s pleasure in reading. In this keynote, Teresa highlights the benefits of reading for pleasure and the value of such apparently casual conversations about ‘books in common’ or children’s self-chosen texts. Teresa also offers a range of strategies for use in school that can help nurture informal book talk and recommendations and contribute to the creation of engaged communities of readers.