WIMMERA Southern Mallee Local Learning and Employment Network has developed books and other reading materials in Karen to encourage the Wimmera’s Karen community to read to their children.
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Executive officer Tim Shaw said reading to children from an early age had been shown to improve literacy skills and would help prepare the children of Karen migrants for school.
‘‘Obviously English is not their language, so anything we can do to support them learning to speak English will be of great benefit,’’ he said.
‘‘A lot of these families have lived in camps overseas for quite some time.
‘‘They, particularly the young ones, might not have received the education they would have living in Australia.’’
Mr Shaw said the books and other material were developed as part of the Let’s Read program.
He said the program primarily distributed books for families who spoke English, however, with such a large Karen population in the Wimmera, it made sense to create material in Karen as well.
‘‘Some of the material explains about how reading to their babies will help develop their literacy and development,’’ he said.
‘‘The English books are very simple, so it will not only help the babies but will also help the families reading to the babies learn English.’’
Mr Shaw said reading material in both English and Karen was distributed through Yarriambiack, West Wimmera, Hindmarsh and Horsham municipalities.
He said material was aimed at children aged four, 12 and 18 months, and three-and-a-half year olds and was available at Wimmera Regional Library Corporation branches.
Mr Shaw said a $5000 Rural and Regional Renewal grant helped pay to develop the reading material.
‘‘We are thankful for the grant and we are looking forward to implementing a sustainable funding model to ensure the program will continue to run for many years,’’ he said.
‘‘Everyone can see the value in the program because what we’re finding is a lot of children from all backgrounds aren’t getting that good a start at home.
‘‘Some children front up at kindergarten without that exposure to books and they start behind their peers, and unfortunately never really catch up."