Every school I’ve met wants to give their children a love of reading.

That’s great. What a gift.

But sadly, most schools don’t look like they do.

If a child walked into your classroom and looked only at the books…

What would they see?

Books facing out, inviting them in?

Or:

Spines worn and hidden.
Shelves overfilled.
Books mixed in with worksheets and folders.
A box tucked under a table.

Because books don’t just sit there.

They communicate.

“This matters.”
Or
“This is an afterthought.”

Children notice.

Before a child ever picks up a book, the environment has already shaped how they feel about it.

So here’s something simple to try this week:

1. Pick one classroom.
2. Stand back and look only at the books.
3. Give yourself 5 minutes.
4. Then make just a few small changes:
   1. Face a few covers out
   2. Remove any damaged or unwanted books
   3. Create a small feature display
   4. Make it easy to browse

That’s it.

No budget.
No big plan.

Just making books feel like something worth choosing.

Take a before and after photo.

I think you’ll notice the difference.

And more importantly — so will the children.

Here’s to making reading irresistible,
Sonia 💛

P.S. We’ve put together a short report on the best reading environments I’ve seen over 15 years of walking into excellent schools, with simple ideas you can use straight away. https://ukheadsup.com/love-of-reading/