‘Lowestoft children have many talents’: Amazing entries received in reading challenge

Primary schools across Lowestoft teamed up to “inspire a love of reading” among children as a reading challenge competition was held. Pictures: Heather Madsen (Image: Archant)

With primary schools across Lowestoft having teamed up to 'inspire a love of reading' among children in the town, a range of skills were showcased.

Aimed at all children from Nursery through to Year 6, the reading challenge encouraged children to pick a class book to read and then create the story of the book through a visual image that would sell the book to other classes to read.

Primary schools across Lowestoft teamed up to “inspire a love of reading” among children as a reading challenge competition was held. Pictures: Heather Madsen (Image: Archant)

Heather Madsen, headteacher at Red Oak Primary School in Lowestoft, said: 'The competition enabled children to promote their understanding and creativity from sharing a class book that they have enjoyed during the last two terms.

'Schools were given a list of themes that their chosen book could be taken from which was linked to global subjects – including pollution, oceans, travel, nature, seasons, animals and weather.'

Primary schools across Lowestoft teamed up to “inspire a love of reading” among children as a reading challenge competition was held. Pictures: Heather Madsen (Image: Archant)

With the youngsters asked to produce 'an end product' to explain the book to others, a range of table top displays, information booklets, 3D artwork, drawings, paintings, photo boards, comic strips and much more was created.

Author Andy Cope, who writes the Spy Dog series, judged the competition's first place award winners – and said it was a 'challenge' to select the winners. 'The entries have blown me away,' he said. 'They are amazing and completely different from each school.'

Primary schools across Lowestoft teamed up to “inspire a love of reading” among children as a reading challenge competition was held. Pictures: Heather Madsen (Image: Archant)

Second and third places were chosen by Change Manager at Lowestoft Rising, Phil Aves, who kindly found the prizes for the competition.

He said: 'Lowestoft children have many talents and it is evident that we have a wealth of skills and knowledge within our future generations.

Primary schools across Lowestoft teamed up to “inspire a love of reading” among children as a reading challenge competition was held. Pictures: Heather Madsen (Image: Archant)

'Reading is key to opening the minds of children and we are proud to support this competition. From 'The Tiger Who Came to Tea' full dinner party to an entire jungle forest scene created from cardboard to a wonderful fishing sculpture of Lowestoft's 'Silver Darling' fish, we saw creative talent in abundance.'

Winners for early years were Elm Tree Primary School with their table top display of the story The Tiger Who Came to Tea.

Primary schools across Lowestoft teamed up to “inspire a love of reading” among children as a reading challenge competition was held. Pictures: Heather Madsen (Image: Archant)

Key Stage 1 winners were Red Oak Primary School with their 3D display of the story The Fish Who Could Wish.

Lower Key Stage 2 winners were Pakefield Primary School with their 3D Sculpture from Lowestoft Fishing in the 1930s, Silver Darlings.

Primary schools across Lowestoft teamed up to “inspire a love of reading” among children as a reading challenge competition was held. Pictures: Heather Madsen (Image: Archant)

Upper Key Stage 2 winners were Red Oak Primary with their storyboard, pictures, writings and 3D model of the story; Wonder.

Second place prizes went to Corton CE Primary, Northfield St Nicholas, Kessingland and Corton CE Primary again.

Primary schools across Lowestoft teamed up to “inspire a love of reading” among children as a reading challenge competition was held. Pictures: Heather Madsen (Image: Archant)

Third place winners were Red Oak, Corton CE Primary, Northfield St Nicholas and Red Oak again.

Andy Cope kindly donated a signed book for each school that entered.

Primary schools across Lowestoft teamed up to “inspire a love of reading” among children as a reading challenge competition was held. Pictures: Heather Madsen (Image: Archant)

A special award of £100 was given to the speech and language unit at Elm Tree Primary School for their sensory entry of a 3D house from the story of The Three Little Pigs.