‘Every Child a Reader’ in Bunscoil na Toirbhirte
Mitchel stown Library played host to a very special group of visitors on Tuesday, as the junior infants of Bunscoil na Toirbhirte visited staff members Eileen, Brenda and Jack for a tour and some storytime. The school have recently been awarded, through Children’s Books Ireland, 250 new books
and a whole suite of materials and training for teachers to get kids excited about reading.
Furthermore, Bunscoil are one of just 10 schools in the country to be picked for the Every Child A Reader scheme, where the school will work with someone in the industry - a children’s author or illustrator perhaps - to immerse them in the knowledge that books are a living thing.
Teacher and co-ordinator Pádraig Wallace is palpably enthusiastic about the scheme, and says that it’s sparking a drive in the school to focus on reading.
“I teach infants, and I love reading books that are actually younger than the child themselves. It’s not a static thing - the children will see an illustrator creating the book, and think, I can do that. It’s an active process. Books like those by Oliver Jeffers, that were written in response to the pandemic, are fantastic for showing the literature in action.”
The danger, says Pádraig, is that when children become ‘ independent’ readers, they may face problems in their reading and so fall out of the habit. A familiarity with an atmosphere of books, such as in the library, will help the child to cope with and overcome obstacles.
DOWN TO BUSINESS
World Book Day is this Thursday (3rd) and Bunscoil are celebrating the week by bringing all classes in to the library this week to engage all ages. Long term, the 1st to 3rd classes will be undertaking a firm commitment to the library for the year, both borrowing and engaging with the service.
While the award from Children’s Books Ireland is a catalyst for the school, they have a history in this area, with previous visits to the school from Fermoy illustrator Leanne McDonagh, who created the artwork for ‘Why The Moon Travels’, a collection of Traveller folktales by Oein DeBhairduin. Pádraig says the school are embracing ‘weeding’ their bookshelves and as always, listening to the children.
The library is free for everyone, and there is no expectation on children (or adults) to be hushed and quiet, as it was back in the day. Free to join and use, there are no longer any fines for overdue book loans either.