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De Jong Announced As Newcastle's 'Reading Star'
Written by Newcastle Utd
Siem de Jong is Newcastle United's 'Reading Star' for the next year as part of a Premier League programme run in partnership with the National Literacy Trust
Siem de Jong is set to inspire thousands of children in disadvantaged areas of the UK to enjoy reading and improve their reading levels over the next year, as Newcastle's 'Reading Star' in the Premier League Reading Stars programme, run in partnership with the National Literacy Trust.
The Premier League Reading Stars list for 2015 including the players' favourite books has been unveiled today by the Premier League and the National Literacy Trust. De Jong, who has revealed that his favourite children's book is Charlie and the Chocolate Factory by Roald Dahl and his favourite adult read is Angels and Demons by Dan Brown, has set reading challenges for participants of Premier League Reading Stars on this online video.
This year, several of the players are reading role models in their own families and have chosen books which they enjoy reading at home to their children. The Reading Stars join the Premier League and National Literacy Trust in calling on dads to take an active role in reading to their child and supporting their literacy.
The National Literacy Trust is a leading partner of the Read On. Get On. campaign which highlights the crucial role of fathers in supporting their child to read. A father reading daily to a five year old means that a child's reading will be almost half a year more advanced than a child read to less than once a week by their father.
The Premier League Reading Stars programme uses children's passion for football to motivate them to enjoy reading and to improve their reading levels. In the programme each Premier League club selects one of its players to become a Reading Star to talk about their favourite books and set reading challenges via online videos. These challenges are used to support over 30,000 children in 1,000 schools and libraries, who are taking part in a ten-week reading intervention with Premier League branded materials, including certificates, wristbands, reading journals and wall charts.
De Jong said: "This is a terrific project that the Premier League are running and I am more than happy to support it. Reading brings huge enjoyment and it's something I've always enjoyed from a young age."
Jim Sells, Manager of the programme at the National Literacy Trust said: "Parents have a huge impact on their child's motivation and ability to read and it's great to see so many of our Reading Stars who are also dads share their love of reading and books."
Premier League Chief Executive Richard Scudamore said: "Premier League Reading Stars is a fantastic example of the work carried out by our clubs and their Foundations which encourage young people to make positive choices.
"Over the last eleven years it has used the power of football, and the popularity of Premier League clubs and players, to encourage children to enjoy reading, and to talk about the books they read.
"The focus of Reading Stars this year - parents reading to their children - will resonate with many Premier League players and I wish the project every success."
Premier League Reading Stars is funded by the Premier League. The Welsh Government has renewed funding to deliver Premier League Reading Stars Cymru in schools across Wales in 2015.
To take part in the player reading challenges visit www.premierleaguereadingstars.org.uk.