This item was published during the term of a previous administration that ended in April 2007
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Groups urged to book a share of home reading cash
24/06/2005
Books for babies and tales for tots are on the cards for
youngsters across Scotland, thanks to a scheme designed to
encourage parents and carers to read with their
children.
Education Minister Peter Peacock today urged local
groups to apply for a share of the £300,000 Home Reading
Initiative Small Grants Scheme.
The grants - for schools, nurseries and community groups
- are aimed at projects which support children's reading as
part of Read Together - the Executive's Home Reading
Initiative.
Mr Peacock said:
"Learning doesn't start and stop at the school gate.
Parents and carers have an important role to play to help
children learn to love reading.
"Reading with younger children and encouraging older
children to read teaches them that reading can be fun as
well as developing their skills.
"Over £1.3 million has already been shared between 1,070
projects across Scotland thanks to our small grants
scheme.
"For example, Aberdeenshire Council received a grant to
set up the Blokes (and their kids) into books project. This
is targeted at workers at the St Fergus gas terminal and
encourages them to read with their kids, providing vouchers
towards books and fortnightly mobile library visits.
"I hope the extra cash now available will help more
schools and community groups to set up projects to support
home reading."
The small grants scheme provides start-up costs for
sustainable projects that encourage home reading. Staff
costs, travel and subsistence are not funded. To be
successful, applicants must demonstrate the sustainability
of their scheme.
Application forms are available from Learning and
Teaching Scotland on 01382 443600 and on the Read Together
website. The closing date for completed
applications is Friday, August 26 2005. Applications
received after this date will not be considered.
The Home Reading Initiative, Read Together, encourages
parents and carers to read with their child from a very
early stage. The dedicated website offers ideas about
reading and recommended books, alongside encouragement from
Reading Champions of all ages, from all over Scotland. The
Reading Champions include celebrities and authors such as
JK Rowling, Aileen Paterson, Nick Nairn and Sandy Lyle.
Literacy Co-ordinators within Aberdeenshire Council,
fourteen schools and Aberdeenshire Library and Information
Service (ALIS) made a joint bid for funding for the Blokes
(and their kids) into Books project. The project has been
set up to target workers at St Fergus gas terminal on-site,
informing them of the benefits of reading at home with
their children. The project started with a presentation at
the gas terminal by the Early Intervention team and ALIS on
the benefits of Home Reading. This also included a book
fair/shop and a book voucher for each participant to buy
books for reading at home with their children. The project
will be sustained by fortnightly mobile library visits
which will also provide access to an on-line book ordering
service.
Recent research into the Read Together advertising
campaign showed that 85 per cent of those surveyed thought
the campaign had made them think more about the value of
reading with their children, while 56 per cent said it had
encouraged them to read more with their children.