A series of roadshows to encourage and support parents and carers to spend time reading with their children have been a tremendous success.
As part of Cardiff Council’s Reading Power literacy campaign, which seeks to drive up reading standards amongst children across the city and encourage parents to play an active role in their child’s learning, three events have been held in Cardiff to provide families with advice, resources and support.
The roadshows have attracted a fantastic response with hundreds of parents attending each event. Roadshows were held at Channel View Leisure Centre in Grangetown, Eastern Leisure Centre in Rumney and The Dusty Forge in Ely where families were invited to come along and learn more about how best to help their children, whatever their age.
The roadshows provided information on paired reading sessions, the chance to read together and play word games or board games that have reading opportunities. Many members of Cardiff’s education service along with the library service and were present providing information and plenty of interactive activities for visitors. Reading Power goodie bags including lots of useful information and materials were also available.
Both parents and children had the chance to sign up for a library card at the roadshows and there was a great response at all three events.
Parents attending the events were also invited to sign a parental pledge and post it in a special postbox, promising to regularly undertake a reading-related activity with their children. Officers responsible for the Council’s literacy strategy will stay in touch with all those parents, offering support and advice.
The Reading Power campaign was launched last autumn and is fronted by the Power Readers, a duo of reading superheroes who encourage parents to give their children the power to read because ‘Knowledge is Power’.
A website provides parents with information on how they can help their children, containing tips and advice as well as recommending books and links to other websites that promote reading as an enjoyable pastime, as well as an essential skill.
Executive Member for Education and Lifelong Learning, Cllr Freda Salway, said: “The Reading Power roadshows have been a fantastic success and we have been overwhelmed by the response from families who are keen to ensure they are doing what they can to support their child’s learning. We are now planning to hold more roadshows in other parts of the city in the new school term.
“We want to ensure that the Reading Power campaign maintains a high profile in schools across the city and that parents understand how vital their role is in helping to end the poor literacy cycle. Advice and support is there for parents as part of this campaign.”
