Buller District Libraries launches 1,000 Books Before School programme
Buller District Libraries is excited to announce the local launch of the 1,000 Books Before School Programme.
This initiative encourages children, along with their parents and caregivers, to read at least 1,000 books during the five years between birth and starting their first year of school.
The programme, which has been fully funded here through a successful application to the Buller Resilience Trust for $18,500, aims to lay the foundations for literacy through regular reading in the home. It is intended for babies and toddlers and will support 500 local children over five years.
Whānau across Buller can now sign up for the programme free of charge on the Buller District Libraries website, or in person at the Sue Thomson Casey Memorial Library in Westport or the Inangahua County Library at the Reefton Visitor and Service Centre.
Every child who joins the programme will receive a book to keep, plus a bookbag and folder with a sticker reading map and reading chart to help tamariki reach their first 100 books. Keep an eye on the library events calendar for story times, book walks, and more!
Group Manager Community Services Krissy Trigg says: “The programme will have a local flavour, with books by a Buller-based author up for grabs. The district’s native wildlife, including kororā/little blue penguin and tutumairekurai/Hector’s dolphin along with local conservation themes will also have a starring role. Through this, we hope to help instill pride in our region.”
Encouraging families to read to their babies, toddlers and preschoolers promotes social and emotional well-being and initiates a pathway towards academic success later in life.
“The programme will achieve these objectives by providing children with their first books, in their own homes. It will also enable more young families to become library members, giving children equitable access to books while supporting positive family experiences and fostering a lifelong love of reading” says Ms Trigg.
Various forms of the 1,000 Books Before School programme are active throughout the country and overseas, with Tasman District Libraries hosting a very successful, long-standing example.
To find out more, visit the Buller District Libraries website: www.bullerlibraries.nz/1000-books-before-school/
Background information:
By fostering early literacy and creating opportunities for engagement, the 1,000 Books Before School programme can help build a stronger, more connected community.
It supports the educational development of children but also empowers families, strengthens social bonds, and enhances the awareness and utilisation of local support networks and services.
For every 100 books children read, they will receive incentives such as stickers and colouring sheets. They will receive an additional book prize when they reach 500 and 1,000 books.
Most picture books take around five minutes to read:
- If you read three picture books a night (around 15 minutes), 1,000 books can be achieved in less than a year.
- If you read one book a night (around five minutes), 1,000 books can be achieved in less than three years.
Babies and toddlers love repetition, so you can easily read the same favourite books many times over.
-ENDS-
For further information please contact:
Community Engagement Team
Buller District Council
Media.Enquiries@bdc.govt.nz