Looking for more in Reading and Stories or Bookbug?

Bookbug for the Home training

Find course details, dates for upcoming training and how to sign up below.

Bookbug for the Home training is for all professionals, practitioners and volunteers working in the community to support individual families in their homes. Bookbug for the Home can also be used as part of targeted work with small groups. The training is a flexible approach that will enable you to enhance family support work.

This training course is aimed at family support workers, early years workers, social workers and social work assistants, members of health visiting teams, speech and language therapists, prison visitor centre staff and other family outreach workers, as well as volunteers who work in such capacities.

Our interactive training is a balance of practical exercises and researched-based theory about book sharing, music and child development.

Although you will participate in songs and rhymes in the group, you will not be asked to sing on your own.

Current training dates open for registration

Until December 2024

Blended Bookbug for the Home training sessions - 9:30am-1pm

Online Bookbug for the Home training sessions - 9:30am-1pm

From January 2025 onwards

Training will take place in two parts, a self-led online learning module to be completed before a trainer-led module either in person or live online.

The self led online learning module opens 2 weeks before your trainer led module.

Trainer Led In Person Bookbug for the Home training sessions - 9.30am-1pm

Trainer Led Online Bookbug for the Home training sessions - 9.30am-1pm

More dates will be released on a rolling basis throughout the year. Sign up for our regular Working with Bookbug newsletter to be notified as training dates are added. April to June 2025 training dates will be released at noon on Monday 3 February 2025.

If you see a training session is full you can still follow the link to join the waitlist and you'll be offered a spot if there is a cancellation.

Register for a training course

Course details

In this course, you will have opportunities to:

  • Build your understanding of the importance of songs, rhymes and stories for both children and families
  • Learn and practise songs and rhymes, and consider how to build these activities into your practice to encourage families to sing and rhyme together
  • Explore a range of picture books and practise reading aloud
  • Signpost families to Bookbug Sessions and online resources

Cost

Training is funded by the Scottish Government at no cost to participants.

Eligibility

To be eligible for fully funded training you need to:

  • Be affiliated with an organisation, either as a member of staff or a volunteer, which will support the practitioner’s use of Bookbug for the Home
  • Plan to use the Bookbug for the Home approach with families with children (0–5 years old), not just with children by themselves.
  • Be over 16
  • Plan to start using Bookbug for the Home within 2 months of the training course

Format (until December 2024)

Blended

Our blended training is a mix of a trainer-led online theory session, and a hands-on in-person practical session.

This course is comprised of:

  • A small amount of preparation work which will be sent two weeks before the session
  • A 3.5 hour live online session, run on either Zoom or MS Teams
  • A 3.5 hour in-person session, one week later. Attendance is required at both sessions to complete training. There will be a comfort break halfway through each session

Online

Our interactive online trainer-led sessions combine theory and practical work.

This course is comprised of:

  • A small amount of preparation work which will be sent two weeks before the session
  • Two 3.5 hour live, interactive online sessions, a week apart. Attendance is required at both sessions to complete the training. There will be a comfort break halfway through each session

In our online training course, you need to:

  • Have a computer, laptop or tablet that connects to the internet with working audio, camera and microphone. A mobile phone is not suitable due to the format of the training
  • Be registered individually on the training course and participate on your own individual device
  • Be able to access Zoom or Microsoft Teams (depending on the platform of the session you registered for)

Format (from January 2025)

In-person

Our in-person training is a mix of a self led online learning module, and a trainer-led in-person module.

This course is comprised of:

  • A 2–3 hour self-led online learning module to be completed before your trainer-led, in-person session at your own pace. To complete this self-led online learning module you will need a mobile, tablet, laptop or computer with access to the internet.
  • A 3.5-hour trainer-led, in-person module. Completion of both is required to complete training. There will be a comfort break halfway through the in-person module.

Online

Our interactive online training is a mix of a self-led online learning module and a trainer-led live online module.

This course is comprised of:

  • A 2–3 hour self-led online learning module to be completed before your trainer-led live online module at your own pace. To complete this self-led online learning module you will need a mobile, tablet, laptop or computer with access to the internet.
  • A 3.5-hour trainer-led live, interactive online module. Completion of both is required to complete training. There will be a comfort break halfway through the trainer-led online module.

In our trainer-led live online training module, you need to:

  • Have a computer, laptop or tablet that connects to the internet with working audio, camera and microphone. A mobile phone is not suitable due to the format of the training
  • Be registered individually on the training course and participate on your own individual device
  • Be able to access Zoom or Microsoft Teams (depending on the platform of the session you registered for)

Contact us

If you have any questions or you need additional support with the registration process, please contact the Bookbug team at [email protected] or phone 0131 524 0160 (Press option 1 for Early Years and Bookbug).