Young Readers Programme for Families
When parents are involved in reading at home, children do better at school and enjoy reading more. The Young Readers Programme for Families is a five-week course which helps parents to support their children’s reading.
How the family programme works:
- Sessions are run by local experts (usually a Family Learning professional, class teacher or librarian) following an in-depth training session from one of our project managers.
- Around 10 adults and their children take part in the course. It doesn’t have to be parents - carers, grandparents and older siblings are all welcome to take part.
- Sessions begin with discussions and activities for the adults before the children join the group. The adults then pass on what they’ve learnt about reading for pleasure and book choice to their children.
- Families experience the importance of sharing reading; explore books to suit different interests and abilities; and learn choice strategies. The course offers supported trips to the local library and bookshop to practice these new skills.
- Each child is able to choose at least three free books to keep as part of the programme.
Following successful pilots, the programme was rolled out nationally in 2010. The first year evaluation showed that as a result of taking part in the programme:
- 100% of families felt they had learned practical strategies to support their child’s reading
- The number of children reporting frequent (e.g. daily) reading at home increased by 43%. The number of children who said they ‘hardly ever’ read at home decreased by 57%
- 81% of families who had not previously used the public library became a member of their local library, 54% choosing to visit in their own time
If you would like information on funding to take part in the programme, email us with “Young Readers Programme for Families” in the subject line.
