Children at nurseries across Harrow are being set the target of reading at least four books every single day.

More than 260 young children have enrolled in the Get the Reading Buzz scheme, a programme running throughout the country that was launched by childcare provider Busy Bees following research highlighting a long-term decline in children’s enthusiasm for books.

The initiative spans over 350 nurseries and involves 37,000 children nationwide, with each child working towards the four-books-per-day goal.

Jenny Shaw, academic lead researcher and developer at Busy Bees, said their Harrow settings regularly see how a simple story can capture a child’s imagination. She explained that reading offers benefits beyond the immediate moment, acting as a catalyst for creativity, supporting early speech development, building confidence, and strengthening the bond between parent and child.

Nurseries in the Harrow area are incorporating reading into their everyday timetables and are working alongside parents to encourage reading in the home environment.

Ms Shaw said they are urging families and carers to get involved and rediscover the pleasure of shared reading at home, adding that just five to ten minutes of reading together can spark a lifelong love of books, enhance the parent-child relationship, and support children’s emotional wellbeing.

Busy Bees has also partnered with storyteller Laura Henry-Allain, the creator of JoJo and Gran Gran, to champion the importance of early literacy.

She said as both an educator and storyteller she has always been deeply dedicated to encouraging reading for children, especially during the Early Years stage. She expressed how delighted she was that Busy Bees, through their Bee Curious curriculum, has introduced the four-a-day book challenge, which she believes will make a significant impact on children’s reading capabilities and help them grow into lifelong readers.