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Early Reading Together
We recently had the opportunity to participate in a Ministry of Education special group programme. The Early Reading Together programme has been designed to enhance the support which parents/whānau provide for their children's language and literacy development at home. The purpose of the programme is to provide a sound foundation for early language and literacy learning by helping parents to understand more fully the ways in which talking with young children and reading to them help children's language and literacy development. We sent out invitations to our famlies to join us in the three weekly workshops, and were really pleased with the response.
The workshops were interactive, relaxed and fun and also a great way for parents to get to know each other better while also gaining ideas and developing a range of understanding about how best to support their children by developing positive and confident attitudes to language and literacy. We discussed how you can develop your child's understanding by reading and rereading appealing picture books as often as possible.
Also by talking about the pictures and print in ways that help your child to make sense of what is on the page. There was lots of laughter and the feedback we received was all positive. At the end of the day we all agreed that there is no app to replace your lap, and how important it is in the development of a special sense of security and closeness as you read to your children.