When my kids were in nursery aged 2, we were sent home with a reading book. For them to read. My husband and I thought it was ridiculous and pushy and didn’t bother.

Don’t get me wrong, I was huge into reading to them – from the age of 6 months. And they always loved it. It was the only time – apart from sleeping, when they were quiet and sat still. But they were 2. 2! Why on earth did we need to start pushing them to read by themselves at that age???

Boy did I live to regret that. Maybe it was just me, but I really had no idea quite how important it was for my kids to get reading by themselves – and the sooner, the better. Their whole world – both educational and imaginative – opens up to them once they can read.

A couple of weeks ago – we were invited to a chi-chi little number at the beautiful Ralph Lauren store in Bond Street hosted by Tamara Beckwith Veroni which was all about promoting reading for kids. You see Ralph Lauren has launched a Childrens Literacy Program to promote literacy in association with the charity Book Trust.

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