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Reading skills and reading engagement are declining globally, including in Norway. This is not only a question of skills, but also of motivation and reading interest.
Through my work with schools, I noticed that isolated efforts such as workshops, reading initiatives and one-off activities were not enough to create lasting change. While they sparked curiosity, they rarely led to sustainable changes in the school's reading culture.
In collaboration with the University of Stavanger and Norway's National Reading Center, new insights emerged into what it takes to build a reading culture in practice. It became clear that lasting change requires a structured, whole-school approach with shared ownership among all adults.
Reading is often treated as something separate, rather than as a shared responsibility across the whole school. Without a clear structure, ownership remains unclear and efforts stayed fragmented.
The Garden of Readers was developed to make this visible and tangible. It helps schools understand what a reading culture is, what it requires, and what role each adult plays. By strengthening shared ownership and the connection between educators, home and learners (aka The Golden Triangle), it creates the conditions for engagement, self-belief and meaningful participation, leading to lasting and sustainable change.
In practice, The Garden of Readers is used as a shared framework that guides daily work across the whole school. It is visible as a poster in different parts of the school, making the reading culture (and everyone's roles) tangible, simple and clear for everyone.
Educators and other adults use the model to understand how reading is embedded in classrooms, the (school) library, routines and the connection with home. Educators use simple, low-threshold activities and structured routines to integrate reading into everyday learning. Books are used as entry points for dialogue, curiosity, games and interdisciplinary learning, rather than only as texts to be read.
Educators and learners actively engage with the model. They use it to reflect on their practice and can add to it, identifying what is missing or valuable in their context. This makes the reading culture dynamic and co-created.
In daily practice, this leads to more meaningful conversations about texts and books, increased engagement and growing reading interest. Because the framework is visual and concrete, it creates a shared language that supports collaboration, reflection and continuous development of a living reading culture.
Through intensive work in close collaboration with the municipality, all schools in the municipality are now using this innovation. As educators experience its impact in their daily practice, engagement grows and the approach continues to spread within and between schools through collaboration and shared practice. This leads to a clearer understanding of roles and responsibilities, with adults taking shared ownership and holding each other accountable.
The University of Stavanger and the Nasjonalt lesesenter are closely following and documenting the development of this work in practice. The aim is to translate these insights into inspiration and support for educators across Norway in the near future. Because the model is simple, adaptable and rooted in everyday practice, it can be implemented in different contexts while maintaining its core principles. The strong connection between educators, home and learners further supports sustainable and meaningful scaling.
The Garden of Readers has been continuously developed through close collaboration with schools and ongoing reflection in practice. As the model has been used across different schools, new insights have led to refinements in both the framework and how it is applied in daily work.
What started as a conceptual model has evolved into a practical and dynamic framework that supports dialogue, shared understanding and concrete action. Elements such as structured routines, low-threshold activities and the use of books as entry points for learning, dialogue and curiosity have been further strengthened.
The role of shared ownership has also become more explicit over time, helping educators better understand their responsibilities and contribution to a whole-school reading culture.
This development is supported through ongoing collaboration with the University of Stavanger and the Nasjonalt lesesenter, who are closely following and documenting the work in practice. This continuous exchange between practice and research helps to further refine and strengthen the innovation.
Start by introducing The Garden of Readers as a shared framework to create a common understanding of reading culture. Make it visible for everyone as a poster, so it can actively guide daily practice and conversations.
Involve all adults from the beginning, including educators, school leaders, librarians and support staff, and actively include the connection with home and learners. Building a reading culture is a shared responsibility.
Begin with reflection. What already exists, what are you proud of, and where can you grow. Use the model to identify strengths and areas for development, and start with simple, low-threshold activities and routines you can easily start today or tomorrow.
Start small, but be consistent. Small daily practices create momentum and make the culture visible. Encourage educators and learners to engage with the model, reflect on it and add to it.
Most importantly, see it as an ongoing process. A sustainable reading culture grows over time through shared ownership, collaboration and continuous reflection.
