Bacchus Marsh and the Let's Read Program
Bacchus Marsh commenced delivery of Let’s Read in 2006. Moorabool Shire delivers the Let's Read program through the Maternal and Child Health Services at key health visits. Bacchus Marsh’s Lerderderg Library provides access to a range of titles from the recommended readings list for families to borrow.
Book Bug Babes Pilot
In partnership with the Moorabool Library Services, the Maternal and Child Health Service encourages parents of 8 week old babies to attend the library to enrol, when they attend for a key health and development visit. Parents are provided with a branded envelope containing information about the project and a simplified enrolment form to take to the library to enrol their child. Once enrolled the child will receive a library bag containing library information, their library card and a small board book to keep.
The project aims to: Encourage parents to visit and familiarise themselves with the library. Increase enrolment in the library for young children. Encourage reading from birth. Increase participation in activities at the library including Story Time and Baby Rhyme Time.
The Pilot promotes early engagement with library, its programs and early literacy messages.
The Pilot has provided staff with an opportunity to promote and engage families with literacy messages prior to the delivery of the Let's Read program, increasing awareness of the benefits of reading to young babies from birth. Library staff have been supportive in delivering the pilot in partnership with Maternal and Child Health.
Additional opportunities to provide literacy messages to vulnerable families are being developed, and partnerships with programs and agencies to deliver these are identified. In 2015 the MCH service provided additional indigenous books to aboriginal families attending the service. This project has been delivered for several years with the support of Best Start funding and our Let's Read partners. The project has been well received by our indigenous families, increasing opportunities to share important literacy messages. MCH nurses have also begun to provide books to engage some of our more vulnerable children and families with the service, providing important literacy messages, modelling and increasing access to books within the home environment.
Nichole Russell, Moorabool Shire Council
The Let's Read program in Bacchus Marsh is sponsored by the Moorabool Shire Council and the
The Rotary Club Of Bacchus Marsh.
The Let’s Read Community ProgramLet's Read works with communities to promote the importance of early literacy. The Let’s Read community program aims to address the additional literacy challenges faced by children growing up in low socio-economic households and communities.
The Let’s Read Community Program:
Bacchus Marsh commenced delivery of Let’s Read in 2006. Moorabool Shire delivers the Let's Read program through the Maternal and Child Health Services at key health visits. Bacchus Marsh’s Lerderderg Library provides access to a range of titles from the recommended readings list for families to borrow.
Book Bug Babes Pilot
In partnership with the Moorabool Library Services, the Maternal and Child Health Service encourages parents of 8 week old babies to attend the library to enrol, when they attend for a key health and development visit. Parents are provided with a branded envelope containing information about the project and a simplified enrolment form to take to the library to enrol their child. Once enrolled the child will receive a library bag containing library information, their library card and a small board book to keep.
The project aims to: Encourage parents to visit and familiarise themselves with the library. Increase enrolment in the library for young children. Encourage reading from birth. Increase participation in activities at the library including Story Time and Baby Rhyme Time.
The Pilot promotes early engagement with library, its programs and early literacy messages.
The Pilot has provided staff with an opportunity to promote and engage families with literacy messages prior to the delivery of the Let's Read program, increasing awareness of the benefits of reading to young babies from birth. Library staff have been supportive in delivering the pilot in partnership with Maternal and Child Health.
Additional opportunities to provide literacy messages to vulnerable families are being developed, and partnerships with programs and agencies to deliver these are identified. In 2015 the MCH service provided additional indigenous books to aboriginal families attending the service. This project has been delivered for several years with the support of Best Start funding and our Let's Read partners. The project has been well received by our indigenous families, increasing opportunities to share important literacy messages. MCH nurses have also begun to provide books to engage some of our more vulnerable children and families with the service, providing important literacy messages, modelling and increasing access to books within the home environment.
Nichole Russell, Moorabool Shire Council
The Let's Read program in Bacchus Marsh is sponsored by the Moorabool Shire Council and the
The Rotary Club Of Bacchus Marsh.
The Let’s Read Community ProgramLet's Read works with communities to promote the importance of early literacy. The Let’s Read community program aims to address the additional literacy challenges faced by children growing up in low socio-economic households and communities.
The Let’s Read Community Program:
- Trains professionals about the importance of early literacy and how to engage with families and caregivers to help them to support their children’s emergent literacy
- Supports the Let’s Read universal multi-point intervention which is provided by a trusted community professional multiple times between the birth and five years of age
- Makes high quality children’s books available at low cost for use in the home and community
- Provides messages, information and resources that support provision of literacy rich home environments
- Provides messages and resources to support community approaches to early literacy development and encourage literacy rich experiences in the community
- Encourages and supports partnerships and initiatives for literacy activities and promotion.