Michelle Worthington is an award-winning children's author and international guest speaker on the power of storytelling. Michelle is dedicated to encouraging a strong love of reading and writing in young children and supports the vision of empowering youth through education and working on books that are purposeful, innovative and inspirational.
Reading to premature babies every day supports development, not only in a Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU), but also going into early infancy and childhood. Babies enjoy hearing their parent’s voice over any other sound, but what’s more important is that it’s an activity that parents can do every day for their baby during a time where many can feel helpless in an intense and stressful environment. International children’s book author, Michelle Worthington, is mother to three premature babies and knows what it’s like to go through NICU not being able to touch or take home your baby. Sometimes premmie baby may be sleepy or lethargic due to medications or illness. If the baby is awake and making eye contact with you, that’s the best time to read to them. Reading is also linked to improved language and writing abilities at school age, so it’s never too early to start.
Reading to your baby, especially when you aren’t able to touch them, not only lets them know you are there, it forms a bond that helps to fight the postnatal depression and PTSD experienced by parents of premature babies and babies in intensive and special care. I know. I was in that position, three times. I read to each of the boys when I wasn’t allowed to cuddle them and it made a huge difference.
That’s why I’m so blown away at being asked to the the Ambassador of the very first Life's Little Treasures Foundation Little Readers Readathon, as a Mum and an author. Best of all, Tommy gets to help, too!
Why reading matters… Even the tiniest babies need frequent exposure to spoken language to ensure optimal early brain development.
During a baby’s time in the Neonatal Unit critical brain development is occurring, including the development of the pathways in the brain that control language skills. By reading to their babies, parents are not only bonding with them and reducing some of the stress associated with being in the NICU, they are also supporting their baby’s brain development.
Babies need frequent exposure to meaningful auditory experiences to ensure optimal early brain development. Research has identified a number of benefits of reading from early infancy, with a lasting effect on language, literacy and early reading skills with a boost in vocabulary at four years of age.
Little Readers read-a-thon
Even the tiniest babies need frequent exposure to spoken language to ensure optimal early brain development.
Who can participate?
This year NIDCAP in partnership with The Life’s Little Treasures Foundation is promoting participation in the Little Readers Read-a-thon. Any neonatal unit (NICU/SCN) in Australia can participate in the Little Readers Read-a-thon. Units need to register to officially participate in the Read-a-thon in order to be eligible for prizes and to provide access to resources.
How to register
It’s easy, just fill in the online form below and we’ll do
the rest
What do you get when you register for the read-a-thon?
Once registered for the Little Readers Read-a-thon units will receive a great toolkit which includes everything you’ll need, electronic resources (factsheets, promotion posters, participation certificates, log sheets, survey tools) printed resources (bookmarks, reading booklets).
Prizes
Registrants will also have the opportunity to win some great prizes for highest total number of books read and highest total numbers of reading minutes! …so let’s get reading!
What can you do to prepare for the Little Readers
Read-a-thon?
Consider how you can promote the event to parents and staff
and what resources you have available to you. If you do not have an existing
reading library in your unit consider how you could start one – can you ask for
donations from local businesses or supporters?
Can your school library or local council
library provide you with decommissioned books?
Michelle Worthington is an internationally published award-winning author of empowering picture books for children of all ages.
“My goal is to inspire all children to believe in themselves and encourage reluctant readers to fall in love with books.”
Michelle is also an international guest speaker on the importance of storytelling. Her books have been nominated for the CBCA Picture Book of the Year Award and Speech Pathology Awards. She was awarded a highly commended in the prestigious 2018 Hilarie Lindsay Children’s Book Awards. Two-time winner of the International Book Award and finalist in the USA Best Book Awards, Michelle also received a Gellett Burgess Award and a Silver Moonbeam Award for her contribution to celebrating diversity in children’s literature.
She’s also a real-life book fairy. Her magic powers include turning coffee into award-winning books. As Founder of Share Your Story Australia, she waves her wand to coach aspiring authors and illustrators all over the world achieve their dreams of publication. Whether she’s a fairy, a mermaid, a pirate or an elf, Michelle celebrates empowering readers and storytellers to dream big.
So proud that My Brother Tom by Michelle Worthington and Ann-Marie Finn was a finalist in the Book Excellence Awards
My Brother Tom is a picture book for older siblings of a baby born prematurely and who is in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit to facilitate discussion with caregivers and help them understand what is going on. Royalties from the sale of My Brother Tom go to Life's Little Treasures Foundation with helps families in Australia who are affected by premature birth.
Copies of My Brother Tom are available through their website
