I love books and I am really pleased that Bob takes after me in that department. When I met her daddy he had never read a book for enjoyment. After introducing him to the Harry Potter series (I thought these would be an easy read and interesting enough to keep his attention) he now reads occasionally and he seems to enjoy it. He also now likes sharing stories with Bob. I love listening to them enjoy a bedtime story together!
Bob loves her books and, when we are not sharing stories together she can often be found ‘reading’ to herself. She has a fabulous imagination and, although she can’t read actual words yet, she can make up wonderful stories by looking at the pictures. She also has an amazing memory and she can recite many books off by heart.
I know that not all children are as interested in books and that not every parent has a lot of free time. I was very pleased to hear about Save The Children’s Read On Get On campaign. This campaign wants to ensure that by 2025 every child in the UK is a confident reader by age 11. It encourages parents to share books with their children and also gives them interesting conversation starters to discuss the stories further. In partnership with Ladybird the campaign is launching a free nationwide giveaway of activities aimed at helping families discuss stories with their children to develop their language skills. The activities feature Peppa Pig, Ben & Holly and Topsy & Tim and they are available for free from the Read On Get On website.
We were invited to attend a story telling workshop at Costa in Nottinghamshire but unfortunately we were unable to attend. The story starter activities were distributed at the workshop and they sent us some to have a look at. Bob and I enjoyed discussing what was happening in the stories and answering the questions.
Janet Ellis led the event. Here is what she had to say. “Read On. Get On. supports a truly worthwhile cause – a lot of parents don’t realise how important reading is for children in order to unlock their full potential. It was a pleasure to share some of my hints and tips with the families of Nottingham to help them make storytime as engaging as possible.”
Disclaimer: We were sent a story starter pack, some books and a Costa gift card in exchange for this post.
