News / Early reading key to learning
THE IMPORTANCE of reading to babies and toddlers was highlighted during the launch of a new drop-in service at Brae Primary School on Wednesday.
The school has managed to secure funding from the Scottish Government’s Closing the Gap fund to set up a new initiative that is aimed at helping parents in the early language development of their children.
At least 30 toddlers and their parents gathered in the newly kitted-out room and enjoyed a morning of rhymes and being read to during the first Peerie Play & Read Fun Day.
Head teacher Billy Forsyth said language development was key to learning and this initiative was aimed at laying a strong foundation by providing help from a very early age.
“We cannot overemphasise how important it is to read to your children,” he said during a short opening speech.
He encouraged parents to spend “quality time” with their kids by regularly reading to them.
“We want to encourage the youngest children to develop their language before coming to school,” he said.
“We have seen some difficulties with youngsters coming to nursery at age three with very little language, and some young kids coming with a great deal of language.
“We want to redress that and support parents by giving them resources and advice, as well as a place to meet, so that they can help their children increase their language knowledge before they come to our nursery school and formally engage with the education process.
“If a child comes with very little language they will find it very difficult to access the curriculum; they are not able to process language so easily and their concentration span is usually not quite so good.
“They are forever playing catch up and the school then is forever playing catch up by trying to support these children.”
Young mums Jody Weaver and Karen Thomason both thought this to be a “brilliant idea” and said they were certainly going to use the new facility in the school.
Forsyth said he also wanted take the initiative into the community and visit toddler groups in the area, allowing them to swap books and access information on early reading.
The next drop-in morning at Brae Primary School will be after the autumn school break on Wednesday 2 November.
More information will be made available via the school’s Facebook page.
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