Report to the People
A Good Read
If you got away over the summer, you probably welcomed the chance to relax with a good book. And, as you flicked through the pages, you might have reflected that, along with spending more time with the kids, reading books is one of these things we only seem able to fit in when on holiday.
But it needn’t be so. Indeed, you could do both during the rest of the year by making the time to read to, or with, your children.
And you would not be the sole beneficiary of this arrangement. It goes without saying that good literacy skills are invaluable for a child’s future. It’s also fairly obvious that stimulating an interest in books at an early age and encouraging kids to read outside the classroom helps develop these skills. And what better way to do this than by simply reading to, then with, them?
Some initial research suggests that parents are now reading to their children about five times a week. While this is encouraging, a concern is that this reading is mostly done by the mothers in better off families. To give all our children the best start in life, we all need to get involved.
At this year’s Edinburgh Book Festival, therefore, Minister for Education and Young People, Cathy Jamieson, announced a new plan to get more of us helping children discover books.
Under the scheme, an army of "Reading Champions" will be signed up. They will encourage parents, carers and children to get the most out of reading and help develop home reading skills.
A leaflet for parents is also being published, setting out how to make reading a more rewarding and fun experience. And, from April next year, a grants scheme will make £300,000 available to support small local projects such as book sharing clubs.
The message of this campaign is a simple one: anyone can share a book with a child. You don’t have to be a literary scholar and the book doesn't have to be War and Peace. Going over the match programme at the game on a Saturday, or the fashion tips in the Sunday paper is just as good.
Introducing a child to books is one of the most precious gifts a parent can give. It doesn’t only improve their educational chances, encourage their imagination and open the door to a whole world of knowledge and entertainment, it can also be great fun. For both of you.
The parents’ leaflet, "Reading Together", will soon be available from schools, community centres, libraries and health centres.
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