Parents and carers have the biggest
influence on their child’s early learning.
What we say and do can influence
parents and help them understand the
importance of sharing books. By valuing
and celebrating the importance of
sharing books we will encourage
parents and carers to share stories,
songs and rhymes more often.
(Save the Children, 2015)
Reading for pleasure is important to a
child’s success. The Summer Reading
Challenge gets three quarters of a million of
children into libraries to keep up their
reading skills and confidence during the
long holidays while chatter books reading
groups help build a lifelong reading habit.
Because everything changes when we read.
(The Reading Agency, 2016)
Vital language skills develop rapidly in
the first few years of a child’s life. It is
crucial we ensure that every child has
access to high quality childcare. This will
help ensure that every child, especially
those living in poverty, benefits from
the best early learning opportunities in
these critical years.
(Read On Get On, 2014)
Across the UK up to 50% of children are
starting school without the language skills they
need to progress. Though widespread, language
delay is most concentrated in areas of high
deprivation. Children eligible for free school
meals are twice as likely to experience language
difficulties.
“Early language development is rooted in the
interactions children have with their parents,
childcare providers and peers. These early social
exchanges both foster developing language skills
and provide a vital foundation for children's
school readiness and academic achievement”
(Professor James Law, Early language Delay in
the UK, 2013)
Every Word Counts!
The seven main benefits of reading for
pleasure include:
Reading attainment and writing ability,
text comprehension and grammar,
breadth of vocabulary, positive reading
attitudes, greater self-confidence as a
reader, pleasure in reading in later life,
general knowledge, a better
understanding of other cultures,
increased community participation and a
greater insight into human nature and
decision making.
(DFE Review of Reading for Pleasure
Among Primary and Secondary Age
children, 2012)
Scunthorpe Reading Stars programme in partnership
with Tom Palmer and Scunthorpe United Football club
“Young people who talk with their family
about what they are reading everyday are
more likely to enjoy reading, to read
frequently, to hold positive attitudes
towards reading and to believe that reading
is important to succeed in life.”
(National Literacy Trust, 2010)
Fire Fighter Safe & Well programme in conjunction
with Humberside Fire & Rescue and local families
“The relationship between young children’s
brain development and the emergence of
language skills is mutually reinforcing
(Rosselli et al 2014.) Each new word a child
learns helps to strengthen the architecture
of the brain and as that architecture is
strengthened, children’s capacity to
recognise new words grows.”
(Save the Children, Lighting Up Young Brains
Report 2016)
“Pupils who can read are overwhelmingly
more likely to succeed at school, achieve
good qualifications and subsequently enjoy
a fulfilling and rewarding career”
(DFE Reading: The Next Steps, March 2015)
“Reading to and sharing books with babies
and children helps emotional bonding.
Sharing stories, books and rhymes promotes
strong and loving relationships and secure
attachment.”
(Bookstart Theoretical Framework)
“Reading aloud to young children is not only
one of the best activities to stimulate
language and cognitive skills; it also builds
motivation, curiosity, and memory.”
(Bardige, B. Talk to Me, Baby!(2009), Paul H
Brookes Pub Co.)