AYRSHIRE College students caught the reading bug this week with a special training event at their Kilwinning Campus.

Early Years students took part in a Book Bug training session with Helen Hudd, a freelance trainer from the Scottish Book Trust.

During the session students learnt about the importance of reading to children not only to develop their literacy skills but how it can help create bonds in families.

The students practised rhymes, songs, and stories to help them gain confidence and understand the type of language to use with children.

Early year’s student Yvonne McGarry, 36 from Ardrossan, said: “This training session was extremely useful and fun. It was great to hear from experts about literacy research and the importance of reading from a young age.”

Glynn Booth, 31 from Troon, echoed her thoughts, adding: “I had heard of the Book bug sessions before as I have a little boy, but I had never been to one. This training session was really informative and interesting.”

Many of the students that took part hope to go in to a career in childcare or early education once they have completed their course, and the experience gained from the training session is something they intend to take forward during their career.

School pupil Lauren Buckley said: “Learning how to read a book to children was very valuable.

“It will help me with my course and is something that I can use in the future.”

All of the students left the training session enthused and excited about practising the new skills they have learnt, especially having the confidence to read stories using voices and an element of performance.

The Scottish Book Trust run Book Bug sessions across Scotland to offer free and fun events for families to enjoy with their babies, toddlers and pre-schoolers.

According to the Scottish Book Trust the learning gap begins long before children have reached school, and by the time a child from a prosperous household reaches three years old they have heard 30 million more spoken words than a child from a less prosperous household.

Lecturer Laura Niven added: “By doing this training day students will gain great practical skills which they can take on as they progress throughout college, university, their chosen careers, and with their own family.”