With the start of our big Books for Schools campaign just over a week away, we are looking for even more schools to take up the challenge.
The East Anglian Daily Times and Ipswich Star are giving away £20,000 worth of books to primary schools across the county in a hope of fostering a love of reading among Suffolk’s youngsters.
More than 35 primary schools have already registered to take part in the campaign but we would love to see even more.
Brad Jones, editor of the East Anglian Daily Times and Ipswich Star, said: “We’re very excited about this campaign because reading is not only such a fundamental pleasure in life, it’s so important for a child’s development.
“Our Books for Schools promotion will result in hundreds more books going into local schools.
“I’m sure the parent communities around each school will get together to collect as many tokens as they can.
“But, over the next week, the important thing is that schools sign up.
“It’s really quick, and free, and it will be a few minutes very well spent.”
The Oaks Primary School in Ipswich has recently signed up to the campaign.
Rose Palmer, the school’s librarian and reading advocate, said getting children interested in books is crucial to their development.
“There is no substitute for it,” she said.
“There are studies that shows your brain fires its most as a child when your are sharing a book with someone compared to looking at a screen or playing computer games.
“If you get the book bug early you have it for life.
“Reading can also help children understand their emotions, to give them the words to express their feelings.
“IF you don’t read you don’t enlarge your vocabulary which is a real disadvantage.”
Mrs Palmer said reading at an early age also opens children a world of adventures and imagination.
“There’s nothing like the way a child relates to a book, they get totally entranced by them, completely immersed.
“Once they realise they can get that from a book, they develop a love for them.”
Books for Schools tokens will be printed in the East Anglian Daily Times and Ipswich Star every day from October 1.
For every 1,000 tokens collected by a school, they will receive £100 worth of books.
At the end of the campaign, the four schools that have collected the most tokens per pupil will each receive £2,500 of books.
Has your school signed up? If not, ask them to send the school’s name, address, postcode, telephone number and the number of pupils to booksforschools@archant.co.uk
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