Literacy themes to fuel a love of reading

There are many ways to include literacy themes in your school. Literacy themes can delight young readers, engage growing minds and inspire a natural love of reading.

Bespoke Wall Art can bring the pages of great stories and literary classics to life on your school’s walls. Here are 5 of our most commonly requested literacy themes for Wall Art.

1. Fantasy and Imagination – Ravenswood School

Turn your school’s walls into a wonderland of imagination!

Boundless magic, infinite possibility and endless excitement. These are a few words that sum up the appeal of fantasy literacy themes for children. Fantasy themed Wall Art is also a popular choice for schools who want to encourage children to explore and question their world.

Cornelia Funke of the Guardian explains, “Stories of the imagination are a great classroom tool, taking children to new worlds and teaching them to question their own. Fantasy is not mere childish escapism. There is a political aspect to it – we won’t try to change this world unless we are able to imagine another reality. One could say all change starts with fantasy.”

2. Classic and well-loved texts – Lee Chapel Primary School

Another popular choice for literacy themed Wall Art is the classics and well-loved texts. Childhood favourites like Alice in Wonderland, The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe, The Jungle Book and Charlotte’s Web work particularly well when brought to life through Wall Art.

You can immortalise these literary classics on the walls of your school through stunning, bespoke design. Then, watch as pupils immerse themselves in a rich tapestry of characters, quotes and memorable scenes.

3. Character and Values – Broadmead Primary School

Some schools focus on literacy themes that are tied to their values and ethos. What better way to present these than through a story? Books are a particularly good tool to encourage children to explore their place within the world. They’re also a super conversation starter for discussions on character traits and values.

We loved bringing Colin McNaughton’s, “Once upon an ordinary school day” to life on the walls of Broadmead Primary School. The school’s vision of ‘positivity, rigour, aspiration, commitment, energy and standards’ align perfectly with the teachings of McNaughton’s terrific tale.

4. Quotes – Ryedene Community Primary School

Ted Hughes’ literary classic, The Iron Man, is a popular choice for Wall Art and for good reason. The story is littered with powerful and memorable quotes.

Drawing out quotes from characters and authors can help communicate valuable life lessons to students. Quotes work really well when showcased alongside visuals and characters from the story.

5. Curriculum Texts – Burnt Mill Academy

Shakespeare features prominently within Wall Art for Secondary schools as a complement to their curriculum. Many schools include quotes from his popular works and visuals depicting stunning storylines. It’s a great resource to help students better understand Shakespeare’s imaginative world. It can also help with exam preparation!

This beautiful example for Burnt Mill Academy shows how a classroom can be transformed with Shakespeare themed Wall Art.

Additional inspiration

Book Spines – Berger Primary School

OK, we know we’ve snuck in an extra one here…but we did say 5 top approaches to walls and these are steps!

Did you know that you can use your school steps to provide a recommended list of books? This will encourage pupils to fall in love with the texts that every child should read, or those included in your curriculum. At the same time, it can transform a much used part of the school and give a makeover to an otherwise dull stairwell.

We particularly love this example of a literacy themed staircase, designed for Berger Primary School.

A note from Promote Your School:

Hopefully your pupils are managing to read as much on lockdown at home as they would at school. However, we know this isn’t always possible. Many parents may be working or struggle to find time to read with their children. So please feel free to share this blog with parents and pupils at your school. Perhaps some of these literacy themed images will inspire them to read the book titles we’ve featured!

In these uncertain times, looking after our colleagues and customers is our first priority and we are closely following Public Health England’s guidance, while keeping disruption to a minimum.

If you’d like to find out more about bespoke Wall Art for your school, do get in touch. Our entire design process can be conducted remotely and we can defer installation until the government lifts restrictions on social distancing. Get in touch to arrange a consultation or visit our portfolio to view more of our work.