Play and reading roadshow coming to Swindon

By Barrie Hudson - 1 June 2022

EducationCommunity
  • Professional storyteller John Bow will take part

    Professional storyteller John Bow will take part

The Hungry Little Minds Team in Swindon will host a free Chat, Play and Read Roadshow for children aged up to five on Wednesday, 8 June.

Hungry Little Minds is a campaign led by the National Literacy Trust and funded by the Department for Education to provide simple and fun activities which they can easily slot into their daily routines, aimed at building their children’s literacy skills in the home environment. 

The roadshow will be hosted in Stratton at Meadowcroft Community Centre from 9.30am to 11.30am, where children will be able to enjoy professional storytelling from John Row, games, crafts, and refreshments. 

Swindon Stories, a National Literacy Trust local campaign based in Swindon, will also be present at the roadshow. Swindon Stories works with the local people across the town, getting them involved in a range of exciting activities to make reading, writing and talking a priority for everyone in Swindon.

Swindon Stories Hub Manager Anish Harrison and Hungry Little Minds Area Lead Lynn Turner will be joining in the roadshow activities, crafting and gifting all families with a free book. 

Anish Harrison said: "This is a chance for families with children aged 0-5 to come together after lockdown, to socialise and enjoy exploring the kinds of activities they can do with their children. It will be a relaxed, drop-in environment and they can pick up a free book at the same time!"

Lynn Turner said: “Activities available will include arts and crafts, basic cooking, stories and rhymes and messy play. We hope that families will be able to enjoy some new activities together and be able to continue these at home.”

They will also be equipping families with home learning activities to help boost their children's early years literacy and language development, especially since the pandemic. 

Research shows that 76 percent of schools reported that children who started school reception classes in autumn 2020 needed more support than children in previous cohorts.

The Chat, Play and Read roadshow will continue throughout the next eight months in various community venues throughout Swindon.

The team in Swindon are encouraging all families, carers and early years settings, such as nurseries, pre-schools and children’s centres, to visit National Literacy Trust website wordsforlife.org.uk

 

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