Public Servant Lifestyle

More children set to get book bug, thanks to home reading grants.

"So please, oh PLEASE, we beg, we pray, go throw your TV set away, and in its place you can install, a lovely bookshelf on the wall." - Charlie and the Chocolate Factory (Roald Dahl)

Thousands more Scots children are set to get the book bug this year, thanks to over £300,000 in home reading grants awarded by the Scottish Executive.

Over 370 schools, nurseries and community groups have been awarded Read Together Home Reading grants, for projects encouraging young people to read at home.

Talking Books

This year's projects range from loaning parents 'talking books' for their nursery-age children, to setting up a dads' drop in club to get fathers more involved in their child's reading.

Since it was launched in 2002, the grants scheme has invested nearly £2 million in over 1,700 home reading projects. Administered by Learning and Teaching Scotland, the scheme is part of the Executive's drive to improve child literacy.

Deputy Education Minister Robert Brown said: "We want all Scottish children to be confident readers. Sharing story-time at home is great fun for parents and carers, and it can give their child a big head start in the classroom.

"Last year, Falkirk Council Community Education received a grant to put on a family learning weekend. Each child was given a reading empowerment pack and the day included storytelling, music and craft.

"These grants are just one of the things we're doing to raise literacy levels, and we know we're making progress. Most pupils are already reading at or above the levels expected for their age, and this year's home reading grants will help us keep up that momentum."

Delight & Entertain

Read Together Reading Champion - and Children's Laureate - Jacqueline Wilson said: "Books delight, entertain and inform - they're the most magical way of enriching our lives. I'd like every parent and carer to read aloud to their children and get them hooked on books for life."

Read Together! encourages parents and carers to read with their child from a very early stage. As part of the initiative, the small grants scheme provides start-up costs for sustainable projects that encourage home reading. Staff costs, travel and subsistence are not funded.

Some of the successful home reading projects this year include:

Fishcross Primary School in Clackmannanshire will set up a dads' drop in club, which strives to increase dads' involvement in their child's educational lives. Each dad will be encouraged to become a FRED, which stands for 'Fathers Read Every Day'

Croileagan Eubhal in the Western Isles will develop story-sacks to help pupils develop their reading and Gaelic. Each sack will contain a book, games, a soft-toy, a Gaelic dictionary and an activity sheet

Polbeth Nursery School in West Lothian will give parents access to 'talking books'. Parents will take turns borrowing a lap-top with talking book software to share at home with their child

Research into the Read Together! advertising campaign has shown that 85% of those surveyed thought the campaign had made them think more about the value of reading with their children, while 56% said it had encouraged them to read more with their children.

The Scottish Survey of Achievement, published in June shows most pupils are performing at or above the literacy and numeracy levels expected for their age.

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