Mum-of-five Tracey Hudson knows that good and bad children’s behaviours start in the home - and reading to her children is one of the most important jobs she has.
That’s why the 27-year-old Manurewa mum is grateful for the free te reo children’s books she’s received since 2022 from the Storytime Foundation, who will this week deliver its 400,000th free book.
“Storytime has been such a gift for our whānau,” Hudson said.
The Storytime Foundation provides free books, education, and resources to some of New Zealand’s most vulnerable families.
After launching a special Pepeha Cloth Book last year, the foundation is about to reach the six-figure milestone of books delivered to tamariki through the Strong Beginnings for Our Children, Hei Takinga Rangatira mō ngā Tamariki programme (previously known as First 1000 Days).
It has benefitted more than 95,000 families since 1997.
“We first heard about Storyime through Mokopuna Ora, and ever since then the books have become a special part of our home.
“Having beautiful, free books that reflect Te reo Māori and our New Zealand culture has made our kids even more excited to read,” said Hudson [Te Whakatōhea, Te Whānau-ā-Apanui and Ngāti Māhanga].
Hudson was born in Manurewa and educated at the Taonga Teen Parent Unit at James Cook High School.
She and her family have loved the free books over the past four years they’ve received them.
“All of my kids including my nine-month-old have used the books. Storytime has looked after us really well over the last few years.”
Hudson said the reading continues when the children start school.
“I do love that the books are in Te reo Māori because we actively speak to our children so and they’re very aware we love our New Zealand culture. That’s specific to who we are.
“We love reading. We usually read most nights. We have a full bookcase of the books and they’re really helpful.”
The family gets four books per year per child, in eight different age groups.
Hudson said all her children are now firmly in the habit of reading.
“It’s mostly just getting them excited about reading, getting them excited, getting them involved,” she said.
Storytime believes the exchanges of verbal and non-verbal communications helps babies and young tamariki learn how to regulate their emotions, develop language and social skills, and form secure attachments with their whānau.
Those exchanges can include where the parent responds to the infant’s cue and the infant responds to the parent’s signals.
Storytime Foundation chief executive Gilli Sinclair said the 400,000-copy delivery mark was something special.
“It feels absolutely fantastic... to have connected with so many whānau, and to have given so many tamariki the chance to bond with their parents through reading,” Sinclair told the Herald.
“The Storytime Foundation started small and since then it’s grown to cover the entire country. We work with 140 providers and are currently providing 13,000 whānau the opportunity to read books.”
Sinclair said helping pēpi and tamariki to read was rewarding.
“My best memories are reading the comments of whānau who have received the books and the impact they say it makes on the lives of their tamariki.”
Sullivan said she would like to see the Storyline Foundation service extended, something that would enable them to “reach everyone in need including those who aren’t currently connected to our childcare services”.
Storytime has partnerships with Well Child Tamariki Ora/Pēpi Ora and Family Start providers, Ministry of Education, and Department of Corrections.
- NZ Herald
