The importance of reading.

Children and reading came up yesterday evening when Kirstie Wark was talking to the writer Sebastian Faulkes. He was talking about his latest book, “The Seventh Son” but also about bis own childhood. Kirstie asked if he went to the library as a child. Yes, he did. He went to the town library but also borrowed books from a travelling library. Do travelling libraries still exist? I wonder. Sebastian Faulkes pointed out that at 9 years old he was not reading great literature. He wanted adventure stories. And, he went on, children need stories from the word go. If you sit your baby on your knee and read stories or just talk about the pictures in the book they associate reading books with family time, with love and affection. As they progress to actual stories they “experience” things that don’t go on in their own lives and they learn empathy. And all that is without considering the benefits for their vocabulary, general knowledge, and willingness to learn things. 

Kirstie Wark went on to talk about primary schools without libraries, and children growing uo without access to books. Here’s a link to a website for the Literacy Trust. 

And here a little something from the BBC:

 “Do you have a library in your school or a special room where you can go to read books?

A new report suggests that one in every eight schools doesn't have anything like this.

In many cases, there might have been a library previously, but it is now being used for something else - for example, a space for teachers to meet or even as a classroom.

So we want to know what you think - is it important that every school has a library?

This is the 21st century. We recognise the importance of education and yet one in eight schools don’t have a library to encourage reading for pleasure! I must ask my daughter about the situation in the school where she works. 

Fortunately our grandchildren have access to plenty of books. Granddaughter Number Two rarely goes anywhere without a book in her bag. The two smallest regularly express their sorrow at what happens to characters, human and animal, in stories that are read to them. And they enjoy non-fiction too, be it the life of Frida Khalo or scientific facts. We must be doing something right in  the family. 

Life goes on. Stay safe and well, everyone!