Bookstart
Bookstart - a free book gift to share with your baby or toddler.
Bookstart is a national programme that gives three free gifts of books to children berfore they are four years old. Bookstart is sharing books with children from as early an age as possible. Bookstart is about quality time spent between a child and a parent or carer. Bookstart is about cuddling up to listen to stories, talking about the pictures and learning to turn the pages. Bookstart is about the pleasure of reading. And it’s fun!
Your free Bookstart gifts:
Bookstart Baby Bag is for children aged 7 - 9 months. You will receive this gift from your Health Visitor, usually at your child’s first health development check. If you did not receive a pack then, you can always pick one up from your local library and join the library at the same time.
Bookstart Plus is for children aged 18 - 30 months and can be collected from your local library It is also available at many playgroups and nurseries.
Bookstart Treasure Chest is for children aged 3 - 4 years and your child will receive this through the nursery class at any maintained or independent school. A timetable detailing when schools will receive their Treasure Chests will be available from this page in late September.
Book Touch is an extra Bookstart bag specifically designed for children with a visual impairment. The bag contains two free 'touch and feel' books with different textures and textiles as well as a list of recommended books and a guide to services relating to reading for blind and partially sighted people.
Book Shine is an extra Bookstart bag specifically designed for children who are deaf or have an hearing impairment. The bag contains a free 'touch and feel' book with different textures and textiles and a board book with signing. There is also a list of recommended books and a guide to services relating to reading for deaf and hearing impaired people.
The Book Touch and Book Shine bags are in addition to the other three gifts and are available up to the age of 4. Please contact the Solihull Bookstart team for a pack if you are in contact with an eligible child.
English as an extra language.
Dual language books are also available in a number of community languages and in English. Languages catered for include Bengali, Chinese, Chinese2, Farsi, French, Gujarati, Punjabi, Polish, Portuguese, Somali, Spanish and Urdu
For further information about the Solihull Bookstart Scheme, or to book a gifting visit to your pre-school group or nursery, contact the Solihull Bookstart team at the Learning Resources and Advice Service at Solihull Central Library on 0121 704 6984 or by email or visit the Bookstart website
You can make the most of your Bookstart gifts by:
Getting your child a library card
You are never too young to borrow a book! Babies can join as soon as they are born. It's free to join and up to eight books can be borrowed at a time.
Joining Book Crawl
Babies and toddlers receive a sticker each time they borrow books from the library. With every four stickers they receive a Book Crawl certificate and there are ten different certificates to collect. After five certificates children can get a Bookstart bear and after ten a special golden certificate. For more information contact your local library or the Solihull Bookstart team on 0121 704 6984 or by email.
Borrowing from a range of great picture books
Check out the board books, nursery rhyme collections, counting and alphabet books and colourful picture books. Click here for a recent list of recommended titles. Story tapes and compact discs can also be borrowed from libraries. Some libraries also stock DVDs, for which there is a small charge, check at your local library for availability.
Having fun at story and rhyme times
There are special free storytimes and rhyme times for under fives, listening to stories and learning nursery rhymes is a great boost to speech and language development and to concentration. Storytime sessions usually last for half an hour. Find out more details about storytimes and other activities at your local library. National Bookstart Day is on Friday 10th October 2008 and the theme is Pirates, look out for special events!
Family Matters
A special collection of books for parents and carers on childcare, healthy eating, helping children learn to read. There are also books for children about new experiences, like a visit to hospital, starting school, or the arrival of a new baby.
Nurseries, Playgroups and Childminders
Playgroups, nurseries, childminders and parent toddler groups can have a special ticket to borrow extra books. Contact your local library to discuss other services that libraries can offer to early years settings, like a visit to the library or a talk to parents and carers about choosing and using books with the under fives.
Useful Childcare Information Sites
Bookstart
Information about the national Bookstart Scheme for parents and carers, health professionals, library professionals, early years providers and journalists and researchers.
http://www.bookstart.co.uk/
Read & Count
Ideas to help your child's writing, reading and counting.
http://www.skillsforfamilies.org/
Talk to Your Baby
Ideas to help you develop your child's communication skills
http://www.literacytrust.org.uk/talktoyourbaby/
SureStart
The Government's programme to bring together early education, childcare, health and family support.
http://www.surestart.gov.uk/
What's On for Children and Childcare Information
Children's Information Service (CIS)
http://www.4u2dosolihull.org/
Bookstart in Solihull
Click for a copy of the latest annual report.
Your Bookstart Team at The Learning Resources and Advice Service are:
- Steve Palmer, Co-ordinator
- Beverley Bird, Principal Assistant
- Diane Boyne, Principal Assistant
- Sandra Foster, Senior Library Assistant
Contact
Learning Resources and Advice Service
Central Library,
Homer Road, Solihull, B91 3RG.
Tel 0121 704 6984
Fax 0121 704 6991
Email: sls@solihull.gov.uk