National Read A Book Day

National Read A Book Day

It is National Read A Book Day this Wednesday!

This national event encourages people to read books and spreads the love of reading.

But what else is there to this holiday, and why is it a great asset for Foster Carers?

What is National Read a Book Day?

National Read a Book Day is celebrated globally on September 6th every year.

This holiday was first created in 1996 by the Library of Congress in the United States and was originally known as National Book Lover’s Day.

Its purpose is to inspire people both young and old to get busy reading, as it is proven to have many benefits, including improving vocabulary, concentration, and critical thinking skills.

But in the UK fewer than 1 in 2 young people aged 8 to 18 said they enjoyed reading in 2022 (National Literacy Trust Survey)!

Reading and Fostering

Reading plays a vital role in developing a young person's mind, and it can be a great asset for both foster carers and young people. Studies show links between early reading and later academic attainment and behaviour issues (Cunningham and Stanovich, 1998;Pears et al., 2011).

90% of Foster Carers who read with their child reported that it had made a positive difference to the relationship between them and their child - BookTrust

Regular reading sessions between young people and foster carers have been proven to be a great way to establish bonding as well as create an established safe interval during the day. Some foster carers believe that reading is also an avenue to praise young people as well as a method to help them process everything that is going on in their lives.

Over at Blue Sky we understand the importance and impact reading can have on anyone, and to celebrate this fantastic holiday, we encourage everyone to grab a book over at our offices! Our young person bookcases and foster carer libraries are available during office open hours.

For those who are interested in reading but don't know what to read next, check out this website for an AI-assisted book recommendation.