FREE expert advice on helping children to do well at school by making reading fun, is being offered online by the council's adult education centre.
The centre is running Everybody’s Reading – Family Fun with Stories workshops, between Monday 12 and Friday 16 October.
The workshops, which will include a maximum of eight people, will feature a range of practical activities linked to the story of The Gingerbread Man.
They aim to show parents and carers how to make reading fun using games and props based on the popular story, and to make them feel more confident about supporting their children.
The sessions are suitable for those with pre-school children who want to help them get a good start, as well as for those with children already in school.
Alison Greet of Leicester Adult Education College said: “We’ve had great feedback from parents and carers who’ve taken part in our other online courses which have included Family Fun with English and Feeding Your Family for a Fiver.
“They tell us that they like the flexibility that online learning gives them, and they also get the chance to chat and share experiences with other parents with children of the same age.
“This has been a great boost for some families who have not been able to get out and meet others in ways they usually would.”
Sue Welford, the city council’s principal education officer said: “If a child can’t read well, it affects all of their other learning in school and can seriously hold them back.
“Reading to children, and letting them see other family members reading, will really help them. If they can see that reading can be fun, they will get so much out of it.
“Teaching children to read is probably one of the most important skills you can give them.”
More information about this course and other family learning opportunities is available on the Leicester Adult Skills and Learning Service (LASALS) website.
Once enrolled on a course, participants will be emailed by their tutor and given details on how to join online.
Other family learning courses available include Family Health and Wellbeing, Early Start, Online Safety and Keeping up with the Kids in English, Maths, Science, Music, History and Geography.