Communicating with parents and carers

We know how incredibly busy you are in your early years role. However, dedicating time to getting vital messages across will ensure that your children and families get the full benefit of the Bookstart packs. Here's how we can help.

Our section 'Gifting the Bookstart Treasure pack' gives detailed tips and guidance on how to involve and engage parents and carers in the gifting process, such as by organising a gifting session and inviting families to attend and take part.

On this page, you will find the following resources to help you communicate the key Bookstart messages to parents and carers before, during and after your Treasure pack gifting:

• A letter to send home inviting parents and carers to join you when you hold your Treasure pack gifting session. This is a fantastic opportunity to pass on to the parents and carers key messages about sharing books every day, which can then be reinforced at the gifting session
  Download the letter to parents
• A follow-up letter to send home soon after the gifting of the Treasure pack, reminding parents and carers of the importance of reading together every day and containing advice on how to make reading time fun
  Download the follow-up letter
• A page of key messages about the benefits of reading with children every day, which can be photocopied and given to parents and carers at the gifting session
  Download the reading every day key messages sheet
• Two sheets of fun activities based around books and storytelling for parents and carers to do with their child at home
  Download activity 1
  Download activity 2

What practitioners and parents say

‘We sent a letter to parents to explain what the book packs were and invited parents to see their children receive the pack. We had a half hour session before home time one day and we read one of the books out and sang some rhymes before each child came up to receive the pack. It was lovely seeing the excitement on the children’s faces.’
Kate, early years practitioner

'I was really pleased to go to nursery and see Freddie get his Treasure bag. We heard a story being read and joined in some rhymes. We had a drink of squash and biscuits and I met some of the other mothers.’
Jaycee, mother of Freddie