Rotary clubs promote reading for families
31 March 2008
New babies born at Hamilton Base Hospital will receive a book as a gift, thanks to the Literacy Project being run in partnership by Hamilton’s two Rotary Clubs.
The Hamilton and Hamilton North Rotary Clubs have initiated the Literacy Project, to stimulate an appreciation of books and encourage a lifetime interest in reading.
The clubs have joined together to invest about $2000 a year to purchase books for Hamilton’s new babies.
Hamilton North president Geoff Saul and Hamilton president Peter Wilson said the clubs hoped to encourage parents to read to their children through the gift of a book, and set them on a pathway to spending many hours reading to their children in the future.
They said there was a wealth of evidence to support the fact that children who were read to regularly when they were young, were readily able to learn to read when they started school.
“When hearing someone read, children learn the structure of our language and grammar, and the sound of words,” Mr Saul said.
Mr Wilson added that 10 minutes reading aloud to your child each day was the best investment parents could make to their children’s future.
Along with the books, the Rotary Clubs are providing information to parents about the value of reading, where to find appropriate books for children and a few tips on starting a lifelong love of books.
ABOVE: Hamilton Rotary president Peter Wilson and Hamilton North Rotary president Geoff Saul were on hand to present a book to Monique Sobey and her baby son Jack, as part of the Rotary Clubs’ Literacy Project.
Maternity Services Program Coordinator Pauline Kearns welcomed the project, adding that the parents at HBH enjoyed receiving the books donated by the Rotary Clubs.
Little Eliza Sobey can’t wait to get home and read the book to her new brother Jack.