Dear Parents / Guardians,

Share a Story for World Book Day

We’re writing to you about World Book Day on Thursday 4th March. To celebrate this important day, we are planning a fun day of activities around developing a love of reading.

Reading with your child now can have long-lasting benefits for their future and, because we know how busy you are, the great news is that reading together for JUST 10 MINUTES a day can make all the difference.

Why is this campaign so vital?

• Sadly, reading for pleasure is in decline: only 29% of 0-13s read for pleasure daily (down from 30% in 2017). Children’s Reading for Pleasure: Trends and Challenges, Egmont, 2019
• The number of parents sharing stories with their children is also in steep decline: only 56% of 3-4-year-olds are read to daily or nearly every day (v. 69% in 2013).

So, let’s boost reading for pleasure back up! There are so many benefits to sharing stories together:

• It boosts creativity and imagination
• It’s a calming, bonding experience that improves well-being
• It builds empathy and closeness
• It’s great fun for everyone involved!

This year will be a little bit different as we will be running it remotely so to raise excitement we have set up some competitions:

Competition – guess the reader.

Can you guess which member of staff is reading part of their favourite children’s book?

Competition – best dressed.

Although we are not in school we know lots of you have already thought about and started to make your costumes so please send photos of your child dressed up in their World Book Day outfit to their teacher. Best dressed will get a certificate and to be celebrated on our school twitter (with parental consent).

Competition – write a short story.

Let your imaginations run wild and write a short, fictional story. To be sent to your class teacher by Friday 5^th March. The best entries to be published in Waverley newsletter and placed in the school library for everyone to see.

Visit your local bookshop & help your child choose their FREE World Book Day book with their £1 book token. They will be learning about one of the books as part of the day so why not use the token to get the one they have learnt about.

The £1 book token can be exchanged for one of the exclusive, new £1 books OR for getting £1 off any book or audiobook costing £2.99 or more in participating bookshops and supermarkets – please print the voucher first for Asda and Sainsbury, £1 book token, school can provide a printed version.

A love of reading is one of life’s greatest gifts so happy reading together and happy World Book Day!

For more information and ideas why not visit the World Book Day website.

Thank you for taking part.

Miss C Robertson

English Lead