Parents can undertake a range of activities with their
children that will help boost their development - teaching
songs and nursery rhymes and reading with their child. Many
children's centres are helping parents support their child's
learning by adopting established schemes such Bookstart
and story
sacks or by working closely with local libraries to
encourage parents to read to their children.
Some children's centres are setting up their own schemes,
such as Berwick Children's Centre. It has developed its
own Early Learning Together programme, based on the nationally
recognised Early
Start scheme and employing the same principles.
Peter Green, Community Development Worker, explains that
the programme is directed at bringing families together
in the early formative years using reading, rhyming, song,
arts and crafts. The ten areas of learning include Reading
Together and Talking and Listening, culminating in an information
and advice session.
'Home time work' is also integrated into the programme,
encouraging parents to get involved in their child's learning
and giving parents confidence in their own abilities. Home
time tasks range from formal tasks to informal play and
activity, with a feedback session the following week.
Libraries are key partners alongside children's centres
in encouraging family reading. During June 2006, and as
part of their Families Love Libraries campaign, all 3500
public libraries promoted National Sure Start Month by organising
activities, creating displays and signposting local families
to Sure Start events. Children's centres are increasingly
basing services at libraries, such as coffee morning sessions,
one-off events, toy libraries and reading sessions.
Many children's centres work in partnership with their
local libraries to hold storytelling sessions, which help
parents to engage in their child's learning and at which
parents are encouraged to engage in active storytelling
alongside their children. Northumberland
County Council, for example, has established a book
lending scheme at each of their children's centres. The
outreach and drop-in sessions also offer mobile toy and
book libraries, book clubs and a book boxes scheme.
Sure Start Children's Centre Peterlee
runs a Read and Play Club in conjunction with Durham County
Council library service. Fun materials such as books, videos
and toys are available for families to borrow at each of
the Read and Play clubs. In addition, each child who joins
receives a personalised 'Sure Start book worm' library card
and automatically becomes a member of Durham's library service.
The scheme has been running since March 2002 and has proved
very successful at increasing local library membership and
family reading.
Ensuring access to libraries has encouraged new and innovative
ways of working. Sandy Miller, Bookstart Coordinator for
Warwickshire, tells us how Bookstart
in Warwickshire is running a pilot scheme to develop
'micro libraries' in each children's centre, to encourage
parents to engage in reading with their children. The scheme
involves a specially designed mobile micro library unit,
which consists of collections of 200 board and picture books,
and 50 books on parenting. Although still in pilot form,
the scheme has been well received by children's centres
staff and parents alike.
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