Child literacy campaign takes to the high street A literacy campaign aimed at improving the language skills of under five-year-olds has taken to the high street. The Poetry Basket project is an exciting initiative launched late last year by the early years team at North Somerset Council in partnership with the scheme’s creators, MakeBelieveArts.
The poems were initially shared with nurseries and children’s centres, where they were well received. The next stage is to get the project out into the community and make the poems visible to more people. The Sovereign Centre in Weston is leading the way by displaying poems around the building and children from Little Angels nursery visited last week.
The project aims to keep children focused on their language, learning and development in a The early years team are now particularly fun, but effective way. keen to see businesses and households put the poems in their windows – a suggestion While presented as a fun activity, the Poetry that has already been taken up by some Basket has been introduced on the back of cafes and restaurants around Weston with research that shows that literacy levels are Clevedon and Nailsea set to follow. falling in pre school children. In a joint survey by the National Literacy Trust and the NaCllr Catherine Gibbons, North Somerset tional Association of Head Teachers, almost Council's executive member with responsithree-quarters of heads polled felt young bility for children and young people said: "It’s children’s speaking and listening skills had never too early to introduce children to poetry. deteriorated in the past five years. With the help of a project like this, our children can begin to feel the magic of words Under The Poetry Basket scheme, children in and poems, and go on to enjoy and even participating early years settings (childmindwrite their own poetry as they grow up. ers, pre-schools, and reception classes) learn a number of new poems across the year. A By displaying the poems in the local fresh poem from the list is made available community, families can help little ones each month for children, their carers and develop their language skills and connect with family members to spot, learn and say them through rhymes and repetition while out together out in the community. for a walk or bike ride." 28
