More than a Book Week
September 30, 2024Posted by:
Last week the "More than a Book" initiative took place in the 22 prisons where PeoplePlus delivers education. Building on the success of last year’s event, this year’s theme was "Reading for All" which was aimed at making reading accessible and enjoyable for everyone, with a particular focus on those who have faced barrier to reading in the past.
The idea behind the initiative was to show that reading is not just a skill we learn in school—it’s something that can support personal growth and help people deal with challenges in their lives. In prison, reading can be a useful tool for learning, passing time, and managing stress. By incorporating a variety of reading experiences—from audiobooks to subtitles, and even reading through touch—learners were encouraged to explore new ways to interact with literature, emphasising that reading is personal and can be adapted to everyone’s needs.
Over the past year, PeoplePlus has made important progress in promoting reading among adult learners, which has been recognised and praised in recent Ofsted inspections. The creation of our National Literacy Project has provided a consistent approach to teaching reading across our centres and prisons.
Throughout the week, learners took part in activities designed to make reading more engaging. They created book covers telling their own stories, designed art inspired by famous novels, and discussed literature’s connection to mental health. In one English lesson at HMP Morton Hall, tutor Charlotte taught the learners about authors who wrote while in prison, which really inspired the men.
For many prisoners, reading has become a form of escapism, offering relief from the confines of their cells while expanding their minds. More than a Book encouraged our education teams to take the event beyond traditional books and explore themes like neurodiversity, mental health, and alternative forms of storytelling. The week also highlighted the importance of making reading accessible to everyone, regardless of their background or current reading ability. By offering a variety of activities and approaches to reading, PeoplePlus is helping prisoners build skills that can benefit them both inside and outside prison.
September 30, 2024Posted by:
