Last week the Health Visitor gave my youngest daughter a Bookstart pack. Bookstart is a national programme that encourages all parents and carers to enjoy books with their children from as early an age as possible. Bookstart aims to provide a free pack of books to every baby in the UK, to inspire, stimulate and create a love of reading that will give children a flying start in life. My children have received several Bookstart packs, they’ve been over the moon with the contents of each one.

Bookstart recognises the importance of encouraging all parents and carers to enjoy books with children from as early an age as possible. They’ve produced a new pack called Bookshine which offers free books and information specifically designed to suit deaf children’s needs.

The pack is aimed at parents of deaf children aged 0-5 years. It includes a touch and feel book and a book featuring simple British Sign Language (BSL) signs and an image of a child with a hearing aid as it is important that deaf children see themselves in books.

The Bookshine books and accompanying materials have been chosen in partnership with the National Deaf Children’s Society (NDCS) and parents of deaf children.

Alex Strick, Bookstart Consultant explains:

“Bookstart is for every child. We are very proud to be expanding its existing Bookstart range by offering parents of deaf children a selection of specially chosen books and advice. Thanks to our partnerships with specialists such as the National Deaf Children’s Society, we are confident that the new Bookshine pack will provide many more families with the impetus and advice they need to help their children enjoy books from an early age.”

Lorna Simpson, NDCS Development Manager, from NDCS explains:

“All babies and children should be given the opportunity to learn about the joys of reading. Bookshine, the Bookstart range specifically selected with the needs of deaf babies and children in mind is a wonderful collection. The books all have colourful illustrations and some have different textures to touch and feel. Deaf children often learn in a very visual way, so encouraging an interest in reading at an early age can be crucial in development.”

Bookshine (for deaf children)

Teddy Bear Teddy Bear – Child’s Play from their Sign and Sing Along series
Dorling Kindersley’s Touch and Feel Playtime
Bookshine Guide to Sharing Books with your deaf child
Bookshine Book Guide
A nursery rhyme place mat
By summer 2008, an older picture book will also be available as an alternative to one of the board books.

There is also the Booktouch pack for blind and partially sighted children.

10th – 16th November 2008 is Road Safety week. Brake, the road safety charity is asking the public to help them save lives and to support people bereaved by road crashes by taking part in this event. Every day on UK roads, nine people are killed and nearly ten times as many are seriously injured. A child is hurt or killed every 20 minutes on UK roads. Parents can take simple steps to help keep children safe and stop the tragedies, and Road Safety Week is the perfect time to start!

If you work in a childcare setting then perhaps you could run a Beep Beep! Day, details can be found on the Brake website. Your Beep Beep! Day can be a fun and educational day but is also a valuable opportunity to raise funds for Brake.

Image below shows a Lollipop Man glove puppet which can be used as a resource when teaching children about road safety. 

NDCS is the only UK charity solely dedicated to the support of all deaf children and young deaf people, their families and professionals working with them.

* There are 35,000 deaf children in the UK
* 90% of deaf children are born to hearing parents with little or no experience of deafness
* Many families struggle to communicate effectively with their deaf child
* 40% of deaf children have additional needs
* Three babies are born deaf every day
* Deaf children are at far higher risk of developing mental illness than their hearing peers
* 1m children under eight (80%) experience temporary deafness caused by glue ear. Undetected glue ear can lead to behavioural problems
* Deafness is not a learning disability. There is no reason why the majority of deaf children should achieve any less than hearing children

NDCS provides clear and balanced information about living with all aspects of deafness. As the leading provider of impartial information and individual advocacy on every aspect of childhood deafness, NDCS can help with welfare rights and benefit claims, making education choices, advising on health and audiology and technology, or simply as someone to talk to.

NDCS also campaigns for improvements in services aimed at families with deaf children, working with central and local government, health authorities, education professionals, social services, manufacturers and voluntary organisations.