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City of Greater Shepparton
URL: http://www.greatershepparton.com.au/residents/family/newbeststart/communityliteracy/
Community Literacy
Prep Assessment scores for Greater Shepparton are currently below the state average and as a community we have a responsibility to ensure our children – our future employers, employees and leaders – are at the very least meeting the statewide literacy and language benchmarks.
The issue of literacy first emerged through the Best Start community consultations in 2002 and 2003. Feedback from service providers, community members and parents identified the following related issues:
- Low literacy levels of children entering formal education
- Low parent/carer awareness of importance of reading to children from an early age
- Low parent / carer awareness of the importance of early language development in young children and the tools needed to address this need
In order to address the above issues, a Community Literacy Workgroup was established in February 2004. Through a collaborative planning process the workgroup has identified and implemented a number of strategies and projects aimed at promoting literacy and language development using early childhood services and community organisations as the avenues for delivery.
In 2006, the Community Literacy Workgroup adopted the ELF (Early Learning is Fun) program, consolidating much work started under the Best Start banner with the new initiatives of ELF.
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The Book Swap Box initiative covers all of Greater Shepparton and aims to improve access to children’s books. Located in various businesses and early childhood centres across the municipality, Book Swap Boxes are a great way to get good quality second hand children’s books into homes and keep children occupied when they visit Book Swap Box venues with their family.
A Community Reading Day involves groups of children and staff from local early childhood services dressing up and making their way along the main street of town or another appropriate area. At pre-arranged times the small groups of children and adults will stop at various businesses to have stories read to them by local identities and business people.
The Best Start ELF Book Bags are provided to parents attending their child’s 4 week, 8 month, 18 month and 3.5 year Maternal and Child Health ages and stages check. The bags are handed out by Maternal and Child Health Nurses and through FamilyCare family support workers.
The Story a Day program was devised by the Greater Shepparton Best Start Project Team in 2004 as a way of encouraging children and their parents or carers to spend more time reading together at home. Piloted in two Council kindergartens in 2005, the program is now core business in every Council kindergarten and several non-Council kindergartens. The further roll out of the program is a strategy of the Best Start Municipal Eearly Years Plan 2008-2010.