15th January 2020

Coram Beanstalk has launched a series of new workshops aimed at guiding parents, grandparents and those who regularly look after pre-school and primary school aged children through how to get the best out of sharing books together and to help build the foundations of a lifelong love of reading.

Coram Beanstalk has over 45 years' experience in training volunteers to help children aged 3-13 in pre-schools and primary schools to improve their reading ability and enjoyment. For the first time, the charity has adapted aspects of its reading helper training to create three short workshops which focus on equipping other individuals, such as parents, grandparents, foster carers and childminders, with techniques and skills that will help them to set children up to become lifelong readers.

The three new Creating Readers workshops each last two hours and have been developed to suit different age groups (ages 3-5, 6-8 and 9-11), each based around encouraging children with their reading. The workshops will be available in locations across the UK.

Ginny Lunn, Managing Director at Coram Beanstalk, said: “We are really excited to be launching the Creating Readers workshops in locations across the country. Based upon our expertise in training and placing reading helpers to deliver regular and one-to-one reading support in schools, we know that there are clear benefits in sharing elements of our training with other individuals, particularly parents, grandparents, child minders and foster carers for example. While children learn the mechanics of reading at school, it’s also incredibly important that children get regular opportunities to share a book with an adult in the home environment away from the pressures of having to decode.

“We also know that there is growing concern around the rise in digital devices such as computers and online gaming which is taking time away from reading together. The Creating Readers workshop brings the focus back to the wonderful world of children’s books, providing impactful ways to help bring the joy back into reading for children who might be disengaged with books, reluctant to read or who simply just want to read more and access books in new and fun ways!”

Jo from parenting social network NappyValleyNet.com attended a Creating Readers workshop for ages 3-5: “The workshops are well structured and very interactive, with lots of time for questions and individual concerns. Our trainer, Amy was fantastic, very engaging, and encouraging. The workshop had parents, Early Year teachers and grandparents attending, so a real mix of experiences and requirements, which Amy was able to get round, sharing lots of advice and tips. The course was a great source of information and I left feeling equipped with new skills to help my children enjoy reading. I’m also really enjoying some individual time, curling up and feeling confident that I am helping them enjoy their books!”

The workshops are being launched in cities across the UK and cost £30 per person. This includes a two-hour workshop with a Coram Beanstalk trainer and post-workshop materials. A logo will also be available for those working in a professional environment with children, for example child minders, to certify they have attended a Creating Readers course delivered by Coram Beanstalk.

View and book on to a Creating Readers workshop