'It’s invaluable - literacy is so important'

Monica has two children aged 3.5 years and 7 months. She lives in Battersea with her partner and has been coming to the Yvonne Carr Children’s Centre since her oldest, Tilly, was a baby. She attends lots of sessions there and staff told her about Learn to Love to Read’s Early Years classes held at the centre.

Learn to Love to Read’s Early Years classes are a set of four sessions for children between the ages of 0-2 or 2-4. They are designed to give parents the confidence and skills required to support their child’s early literacy so they are ready to learn to read when they start Nursery or Reception. Through songs, stories, and speaking and listening games, children expand their vocabulary and increase their interest in sharing books. 

Each set of classes comprises four weekly sessions and families are given a book, song card and another resource such as Play-Doh or stacking cups each week. By the end of their four sessions, each family has a tote bag full of books and other resources to support their reading. 

Monica and Tilly attended two sets of Learn to Love to Read’s Early Years classes for 2-4 year-olds in Spring and Autumn 2025. She also recently attended the baby classes aimed at 0-2 year-olds with her son James.

Remembering her own father’s love of reading and sharing books, Monica has always been keen to replicate this with her own children.

She says: “Tilly loved the classes; they were so interactive and she loved taking a book home each week. Sally was very good at facilitating the class and was really happy, jolly, exciting and fun.”

Monica had taken Tilly to the library before attending the Early Years classes but found she wasn’t really interested in the books and had little focus. “Coming to the classes and focusing on one book each week has helped Tilly become more interested in the books, and she has loved reading them at home,” she comments.

Monica appreciated the tips and information shared with parents in the classes. She felt: “they encourage you to talk more with your children and explain how important reading and learning through books is. It really opens doors for them.”
 
She continues: “Some of the tips were common sense and might be what you were doing [already], but it was great to be reminded and reassured about what you can do to support your children.”

Monica and Tilly talk about everyday things as they walk and are going to different places which has helped Tilly become “really talkative”.

Monica also enjoyed the experience of taking James to the baby classes. He enjoyed playing with the stacking cups which he got to take home as part of the gift bag of activities and books. Monica puts them out for him each morning to play with. She felt the classes provided a calm, comfortable and safe space in which the babies could socialise.

“It was lovely to see [James] looking around, laughing… [it was] lovely to see him engaging - he was really happy. It’s a very calm class,” she reflects. “It had a  different focus each week which was good, and the teddy bear week was a lovey theme.”

Monica loved all the different resources and books the children got to take home each week. “Tilly loved the Play-Doh and having her own book - she loves to look at books. James liked the scarf and the stacking cups,” she says. Through the classes she also met other mums who have become friends.

Following the classes, Monica signed up to Learn to Love to Read’s WhatsApp community and receives monthly messages with different ideas for fun reading activities to do with her children.

So would she recommend the classes to others?

“Absolutely! It’s such a valuable thing to do for children and parents. I loved it as a parent - I get excited by the books. It’s invaluable - literacy is so important.”