The Essex Year of Reading ‘Tell me a Story’ series continues with new filmed story time sessions to help families discover a lifelong love of reading together.
Launching on 9 February 2023, the latest Essex Year of Reading ‘Tell me a Story’ film will feature firefighter Moira Bruin from Essex Fire Service.
Moira will read ‘The Wolf Was Not Sleeping’ by Avril McDonald, a story about a worried young wolf whose father works in the fire service. Part of the ‘Feel Brave’ series, it is a free heart-warming story that was written to comfort children whose parents work as firefighters.
Listening to stories, particularly from a young age, can help children to develop their speech, language and reading skills, as well as expand their vocabulary.
Councillor Tony Ball, Essex County Council’s Cabinet Member for Education Excellence, Lifelong Learning and Employability, said: “Reading with children is so important. It has been proven to increase children’s confidence and language skills. It’s also a fun activity to do together as a family. We hope our new ‘Tell me a story’ sessions will inspire families to share books together and enjoy making reading part of their daily routine.”
Moira, who is delighted to support the Essex Year of Reading and is excited to be the next storyteller, said: “Reading is one of my favourite things to do. Being put in the shoes of different characters in new worlds is a great way to learn and reading to young children is a magical thing to do. I chose to read The Wolf Was Not Sleeping because I know lots of children worry about their parents and loved ones when they go to work, particularly when those people are working in the emergency services. It’s a great read with beautiful illustrations to show how we work to keep others safe.
“Reading is wonderful because a great bedtime story routine can bring parents and children together. It’s an excellent way for parents to start a conversation with their children about anything that may be troubling them, helping to build children’s communication skills and soothe their anxieties.”
The ‘Tell Me A Story’ sessions are led by well-known faces, published authors and local heroes. Aimed at children 8-years-old and younger, a new story is launched every two weeks on Essex County Council’s YouTube channel. The stories are aimed at bringing families together to discover new stories, as well as hear old favourites read aloud.
The Essex Year of Reading campaign was created by the Essex Education Taskforce to support children and young people whose education has been affected by the pandemic. It is funded by Essex County Council.
Previous storytellers have included TV presenter and author Dermot O’Leary, the wellbeing author Clare Luther and former children’s laureate Michael Rosen. Future sessions will include readings from children’s author Jeremy Strong, musician Beans on Toast and a zookeeper.
To find out more about the Essex Year of Reading, visit www.essexyearofreading.co.uk.
