Reading scheme targets early years

By Joe Lepper Wednesday, 03 September 2008

The National Literacy Trust (NLT) is targeting early years professionals for its latest campaign to get families involved in children's reading.

Reading scheme for early years

The Early Reading Connects campaign includes a website and toolkit for those working in early years offering advice on involving families in reading. The campaign is backed by £60,000 from the Department for Children, Schools and Families (DCSF), which funded a previous NLT reading campaign.

Project manager Rebecca Green said the campaign has been launched after a number of early years workers contacted the charity during its previous campaign wanting support. "This showed us that there was a real demand within the early years sector for help in involving parents in reading," she said.

She said Early Reading Connects is targeting all early years workers including childminders and children's centre staff.

"Because there are so many diverse settings this makes promotion all the more important to ensure as many people as possible hear about this campaign. We have already started attending conferences and the response has been good so far," she said.

The toolkit has been written with support from a range of expert groups including the Book Trust, National Day Nurseries Association and the Museum, Libraries and Archives Council. It has been designed to complement the Early Years Foundation Stage, which came into effect this week.

Those wanting a toolkit, available from October, can register for free at the campaign's advice website. The campaign suggests early years services use picture books with flaps to lift as well as props to accompany story telling. Early years workers are also being urged to target fathers and run dads-only workshops.

"The problem is that many parents see reading as something that starts in school and is the responsibility of teachers," said Green. "What we want to show is that by getting involved, families can really help children with reading before they start school. Family involvement and encouragement is central to improving reading ability at a young age. By the time children start school we want them to see reading as something that is fun. This will give them the best possible start."

- www.earlyreadingconnects.org.uk.