By JONATHON HOWARD
NOOSA Council will receive almost $186,000 to help expand children’s reading and writing skills to better prepare young kids for school.
Arts minister Ian Walker visited Noosa Library last week to launch Best Start, which aims to address Queensland’s ailing literacy levels.
Mr Walker said the money would help every parent, caregiver and young child in the community.
“Best Start will help mums, dads and caregivers to read with their children in a way that lets the children learn,” Mr Walker said.
“Our kids will do better at school if they start with a healthy vocabulary, which is helped along by being read to.”
Shocking statistics have shown that Queensland is now ranked sixth in Australia behind the other states for literacy levels among children up to three years old.
Mr Walker said the state-wide program, to be delivered through public libraries, would give local families the information, skills and tools they need to help their children develop early language and literacy skills at home.
“Just 10 minutes of reading by a parent each day can give their kids the start in life that they need,” he said.
“This program helps parents of very young children know what they need to know to help their kids do well at school.
“Best Start had come from four years of practical research and evaluation of family literacy practice in public libraries and was part of the government’s strong plan to help Queensland kids be the best they can be.
“In the 2012 Australian Early Development Census, Queensland ranked sixth out of the states and territories for overall early language development.
“Research shows that if kids start school behind the eight ball, they think ‘I can’t learn well’ and they disengage and don’t achieve as much as they could.
“This is an evidence-based plan that will help Queensland kids learn at least the minimum amount of words in vocabulary by school age, which experts say is a range between 500 and 5000.
“Some parents need help to be confident readers, others a reminder that story time is an important part in our long and busy days.
“The Best Start program will help our kids and parents be the best they can be.”
HAVE YOUR SAY: How often do you read to your kids? Email your responses to newsdesk@noosatoday.net.au.
