Portsmouth stars launch football-themed books to get young boys reading » Education » 24dash.com

In what is thought to be the first collaboration of its kind, FA Cup Winners Portsmouth have teamed up with educational publisher Ransom and Childline to launch a specially prepared series of football-themed books designed to motivate children who are either reluctant to read or find reading difficult.

The Goal! series, which will be launched at the end of August, progresses over five reading levels, and includes fiction and non-fiction titles that cover a wide range of football-related topics.

The series features books written by leading players including Portsmouth and England goalkeeper David James, the club’s Nigerian international winger John Utaka and top women’s footballer Rachel Yankey.

“We were delighted to become involved with the project when it was suggested to us,” explains David James.

“We really hope that these books will help motivate kids who have found it difficult learning how to read. The series is perfect for kids who just want to read about football.”

There are a total of 48 football-themed books in the series especially written for high interest age, low reading age students.

Using a synthetic phonics approach, and closely following the ‘Letters and Sounds’ programme produced by the UK government, the Goal! series offers a complete package of readers, workbooks and a teacher’s guide.

John Utaka’s book, “From Africa to Wembley” charts the star’s journey from his childhood in Nigeria, through the start of his football career in Egypt to his arrival in the Premier League with Portsmouth.

The series also includes “Cup Final Day”, a personal account by David James of the 2008 FA Cup Final at Wembley. With full colour photographs throughout “Cup Final Day” captures all of the excitement of the day as well as behind the scenes action. It is designed to build reading stamina and move readers forward to the next level.

The launch of the books follows the call by the Schools Secretary, Ed Balls, at the end of last year for "a national revolution" in children's reading at school and at home. He said that, although literacy levels have improved, work was still needed especially to bring struggling children up to standard.

These concerns were echoed recently by Christine Gilbert, the Chief Inspector of Schools, who commented that only one in five children leaves primary education without a proper grasp of reading, writing and arithmetic.

Although 84% of 11-year-olds achieved the required reading standards last year, this is only one percentage point higher than in 2000, and on average boys' reading and writing abilities still fall consistently below girls. Books like these have a serious contribution to make towards achieving these objectives.
 
Each book includes a page promoting Childline. The NSPCC is keen for the books to help promote its ChildLine service, especially to boys, and each book includes a page featuring the free, 24-hour helpline for children and young people with any problem.

Four times as many girls as boys call ChildLine, and the helpline is concerned that boys may be reluctant to get in touch, perhaps because asking for help is sometimes seen as being unmanly or weak.

However, it is hoped that the involvement of football stars and clubs will lead to more boys calling ChildLine, instead of keeping their worries to themselves.