Fostering a reading for pleasure culture means giving children a voice in what they read. A simple daily voting station encourages independent book selection and sparks informal 'book talk' between peers as they debate which story should win the end-of-day slot.

Materials Needed

Two recycled cardboard boxes (shoe boxes work perfectly)
Printed or photocopied covers of two different picture books
Voting tokens (recycled milk bottle tops, pebbles, or maths counters)
Scissors or craft knife to cut slots in the boxes (adults only)

Step-by-Step Setup

1. Create the Station

Cut a voting slot in the top of each box. Stick the cover of 'Book A' on one box and 'Book B' on the other. Place them on a table near the classroom entrance alongside a bowl of tokens.

2. Introduce the Choices

As children arrive in the morning, briefly hold up both books. Say: "We have a choice today! Will it be the funny monster book, or the quiet bedtime book?"

3. Cast the Votes

Allow each child to take one token and drop it into the box belonging to the book they want to hear. Make this an independent routine they do every morning.

4. Encourage Book Talk

Throughout the day, ask the children about their vote. "Why did you choose the monster book? Have you read anything like it before?" Encourage them to chat with friends about their choices.

5. Count and Read

At story time, open the boxes and count the tokens together as a class. Announce the winning book and enjoy reading it together!

Classroom Adaptations

Large class?

Count the votes in groups of 2, 5, or 10 to speed up the maths element at the end of the day.

Limited resources?

Just use two plastic bowls and let children place a unifix cube in the bowl of their favourite.

Mixed ages?

Pair a fiction book with a non-fiction book to see varying preferences across the ages.

High ability?

Ask them to try and persuade a friend to vote for their favourite book using reasons.

Book Voting Station: Reading For Pleasure Activity for Reception