By Cian Molloy - 17 September, 2018
The Society of St Vincent de Paul is distributing brand new children’s books to needy families.
The books are part of a new WordPower scheme being piloted in the society’s eastern region.
Society of St Vincent de Paul spokesman Jim Walsh said new children’s books will be supplied to local SVP conferences, and volunteers will then distribute them to children and families during home visitations.
“We are delighted to announce the launch of the SVP WordPower scheme. Brand new children’s books will be distributed in the families we visit, to encourage children to begin enjoying books early and all the benefits that brings, including supporting children to be school ready.
“At SVP we know how important education is and that every child is full of potential.”
There are many benefits to starting the shared reading habit young, said Mr Walsh. “This is what Dún Laoghaire libraries say: ‘The benefits of reading to babies are well documented, and it is never too early or too late to start. Reading books together can develop language skills, boost a young child’s confidence and help them to feel more relaxed.
“‘Shared reading can encourage children to draw and write, and studies have shown that the greater the child’s experience of books and language are, the greater their chance of reading fluency and a range of vocabulary. Reading together can be an important bonding experience for parent and child’.”
The SVP is distributing books for babies, children and pre-teens. If sufficient funds can be raised, there may also be a small number of young adult books available. The books are for families to keep and share with others in their family or community.
The WordPower pilot scheme will run from now until June 2019. For more information or to find out how you can help, contact the WordPower Team at wordpower.east@svp.ie.
