There must be a renewed emphasis on the promotion of reading skills within the home, following the successful New Zealand Book Month initiatives undertaken throughout the country.
Last month, more than four million $5 book vouchers were distributed to home and schools and through banks and petrol stations in an effort to engage New Zealanders in reading.
Reading is the key to choice for our children in South Auckland. We need education to achieve our dreams and the first step towards that goal is to master the art of reading. Being able to read gives us pleasure, knowledge, confidence and ultimately a choice of career.
From my regular visits to our local schools, I know how much emphasis is placed on literacy. The wider community too should be aiming to have every child reading at an early age, and families can support the schools by reading to their children at home, or by joining the family at the local library, which is a great place to teach youngsters about the exciting world to be found in the pages of books.
Many of our New Zealand heroes have been inspired by books they have read. Reading not only teaches us to dream but also make those dreams attainable.
Reading is knowledge and knowledge empowers the individual.
Ross Robertson is an elected Member of Parliament from the East Manukau Electorate representing the Labour Party.
