BookTrust and Adoption Focus supporting families through shared reading

Published on: 12 December 2023

BookTrust and Adoption Focus have been holding joint workshops to support adoptive families to get reading together.

BookTrust has been partnering with Adoption Focus, the leading Midlands-based voluntary adoption agency, to bring the joy and benefits of shared reading to adoptive families.

In recent joint workshops, BookTrust engaged with families, gifted children with book packs, offered advice on book choices, and shared story-related craft and learning activities.

Workshops conducted with families provided opportunities to get to know them and learn about their experiences, routines, rituals, and reading habits while observing children explore their packs.

Through this partnership, feedback from Adoption Focus families will be fundamental in further developing and shaping the design of BookTrust's future offerings. This collaborative approach emphasises the importance of meeting the evolving needs of the caregiver and child, whatever their age groups and backgrounds.

Bringing families together

Research shows the importance of reading for all children - and for those experiencing challenges or changes in their lives, reading together can help to navigate difficult conversations and create deeper bonds, trust, and a sense of familiarity while supporting mental wellbeing.

Sharing stories has always been a great way of bringing families together and creating memorable moments.

One adoptive parent said: "The BookTrust people were lovely. They explained what they were doing and gave her a pack. She absolutely loved decorating it with all the stickers and colouring. We ended up with two books... Both were lovely and she really enjoyed them."

Another parent added: "The books and activity pack were great for my child. He really enjoys reading, and the books were of great quality. Thank you."

This collaboration underscores BookTrust's commitment to supporting all families in their shared reading journeys and enriching the lives of children through the joy and magic of books, regardless of their background or circumstances.

Over the next few months, BookTrust will be analysing the insights gained from families and partners alongside existing research, and will use these elements to inform future programmes.

BookTrust and Kinship partner to empower kinship carers through shared reading