Michael Morpurgo urges the government to back early years reading
Well-known authors like Sir Michael Morpurgo and Malorie Blackman are asking the government to help more young children learn to love reading.
A group of authors wrote to Prime Minister Rishi Sunak and Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer, urging them to invest in early years reading. They know that children who read regularly are more likely to succeed, even when life gets tough.
The letter was signed by every children’s laureate from the past 25 years, including current Children’s Laureate Joseph Coelho, Julia Donaldson, Dame Jacqueline Wilson, Sir Quentin Blake, and Michael Rosen.
The authors say that it is unfair that kids from poorer families miss out on all the fun and learning that comes from reading.
To fix this, they’re starting a new ‘Get Reading’ campaign with BookTrust (a charity that helps kids and families with reading – of which Sir Michael is president). The campaign will share tips and ideas for making reading fun for everyone.
They also found that less than half of all kids under 7 get bedtime stories, even though reading early is so important for learning and growing. Also lots of parents (about 25%) say they are having trouble getting their young kids to read, so hopefully this campaign can help.
This isn’t just about words on a page either. BookTrust’s ‘Get Reading’ campaign wants families to cuddle up and enjoy stories together.
So, what can we do? Let’s all support early reading! We can read to children, give them books as gifts, and encourage libraries and schools to make reading fun.
Reading unlocks the start of a whole world of possibilities for little ones. Let’s make sure every child has the key!