Supporting Children’s Reading
The importance of reading for children cannot be underestimated. Reading for pleasure can benefit a child’s education, social and cognitive development, their wellbeing and mental health.
Reading books aloud to children stimulates their imagination and expands their understanding of the world. It helps them develop language and listening skills and prepares them to understand the written word.
Class visit from local school – Maesteg Library, Awen Libraries.
Your local library is a wonderful starting point to introduce children of all ages to a wealth of books and authors. The Summer Reading Challenge and Winter Mini Challenge are excellent ways to embrace reading, and are lots of fun with activities and rewards in the library and online via the Reading Agency website.
Here are some tips for sharing books with young children.
- Ask your child to choose what they’d like to read. They’ll feel more interested in the story if they’ve picked it out themselves.
- If you can, turn off the TV, radio and computer. It’s easier for both of you to enjoy the story without any other distractions.
- Sit close together. You could encourage your child to hold the book themselves and turn the pages, too.
- Take a look at the pictures. You don’t just have to read the words on the page.
- Ask questions and talk about the book. Picture books can be a great way to talk through your child’s fears and worries, or to help them deal with their emotions.
- Have fun! There’s no right or wrong way to share a story – as long as you and your child are having fun. Don’t be afraid to act out situations or use funny voices… your little ones will love it!
Libraries across Wales run free Rhyme-time and Story-time sessions for babies and children. These fun sessions provide the opportunity to meet new friends and enjoy stories, books and rhymes with your child, read by children’s librarians and community storytellers.
As well as offering hundreds of free books for children and parents to borrow, libraries across Wales also offer activity clubs for children and organise family get-together events. Check your local library’s calendar for dates, times and locations of upcoming events near you.
Story and Rhyme Time, Aura Libraries. Ginger Pixie Photography.
The Big Welsh Rhyme Time, organised by BookTrust Cymru, encourages fun and enjoyable rhyme sharing activity for children in Wales aged 0-5, in Welsh and English, and takes place in February each year. The Big Welsh Rhyme Time is funded by Welsh Government.