It's a bird, no, it's a plane, no, it's Super Teddy. He is a bear with special powers that encourage young children to read.
The Manjimup Public Library is piloting a new reading program called the Year One Super Readers' Club involving year one students at local primary schools and home schooling families in Manjimup. The pilot is being funded through the generous support of the Manjimup Lions Club.
The Year One Super Readers' Club is intended to encourage and promote literacy among emergent readers. This type of learning program assists in expanding English language skills, building vocabulary and imbuing children with a love of reading from an early age. There is no doubt that strong literacy skills are the foundation for a child's success in school and ultimately, in life.
The Library already runs a number of programs aimed at developing early literacy skills in young children. Weekly Rhyme Time and Story Time sessions as part of the Better Beginnings initiative foster language development in children aged 0 to five years of age. The Year OneSuper Readers' Club will build on Better Beginnings to consolidate the message that reading is fun and valuable.
A librarian will visit year one classes at all of the primary schools in Manjimup from 12 March 2019 to explain the program, distribute the Year OneSuper Readers' Club packs and introduce the program mascot, Super Teddy. She will show the children some of his favourite books, all available at the Manjimup Public Library, and invite them to visit him at the library, read stories to him and take home books to read in order to earn rewards including stamps, badges and books.
Shire President, Paul Omodei, said 'we hope that parents of these year one students will bring their children into the library to choose their own books and reinforce the message that reading has the power to introduce them to new and fascinating characters, places and adventures'.