‘Story For Their Stocking’ campaign calls on parents to choose a book as a stocking filler and for families to spend some time reading together this Christmas 

Today the Arts Council launched its “Story for Their Stocking” Christmas campaign urging parents to choose a book as a stocking filler and to take some time to read and share stories with their children during the Christmas holidays.

Speaking at the launch of the campaign today Director of the Arts Council Orlaith McBride said; “This Christmas we’re calling on parents and families to put a book in their children’s Christmas stocking and to take some time to read and share stories with their children. Research by the Arts Council and the ESRI shows the huge benefits to children when they are encouraged to read by their parents or when their parents read to them. 

Young children who read or are read to by their parents do better in school, have higher levels of achievement in reading and maths, are happier, more self-confident as learners and have fewer socio emotional difficulties.  The evidence is overwhelming, reading is good for children. 

We’re hoping this campaign will encourage parents and families to focus on the magic of storytelling this Christmas. We hope they will take some precious time to enjoy a good book together. Buy it, borrow it or dig it out from the bottom of a box in the attic. Just take up a book this Christmas and watch your child’s imagination take flight.”

New research published today by iReach insights on the reading habits of Irish parents found the following: 

• One in every two parents want to spend more time reading to their children  
• Of the parents who read to their children, 14 minutes is the average time spent reading with them a day. One in two parents spend anything up to 30 minutes reading to them while one in 10 read to their children for 30 minutes or more.  
• Two in five parents do not spend any time reading to their children  
• On average parents spend 124 minutes of uninterrupted time with their children each day   

Minister for the Arts, Heritage, Regional, Rural and Gaeltacht Affairs Heather Humphreys, along with a string of high-profile book-lovers from across the Irish arts and media worlds have lent their support to the campaign. They include author Roddy Doyle, broadcasters Sean Moncrieff, Dr Ciara Kelly, writer Stefanie Preissner and actor Rory Cowan. 

As part of the campaign, the following public figures have recorded a short video in which they talk about their favourite books from childhood. A video a day will be released by the Arts Council over the coming days. Teaser video here.  

• Heather Humphreys – Minister for Arts, Heritage, Regional, Rural and  Gaeltacht Affairs
• Eoin Colfer – Children’s Author & Former Laureate na nÓg
• PJ Lynch – Children's Book Illustrator and Current Laureate na nÓg
• Siobhan Parkinson – Irish Writer & Former Laureate na nÓg
• Niamh Sharkey – Award-Winning Author, Illustrator & Former Laureate  na nÓg
• Roddy Doyle – Irish novelist, Screenwriter & Playwright
• Rory Cowan – Actor, Mrs Brown’s Boys
• Dr Ciara Kelly – GP, Broadcaster & Columnist
• Ciara Doherty – TV3 Presenter
• Sarah Carey – Broadcaster
• Sarah McInerney – Radio Presenter
• Sean Moncrieff – Broadcaster, Journalist & Writer
• Diana Bunici – Author and TV Presenter
• Stefanie Preissner – Screenwriter, Playwright, Actor 

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