In Sure Start Myatt's Field Angell Town,
literacy development worker Octavia Wilkinson uses a range
of approaches to get families reading.
To encourage parents with small babies to share books with
their children, Octavia visits baby massage classes run
by the Sure Start
midwife, to demonstrate sharing books, explain the benefits
and increase parents' confidence about book sharing. Babies
are encouraged to get their own library card - the youngest
member was only two weeks old!
The Sure Start midwife says of the scheme, "Parents
are surprised to hear that their very little baby can enjoy
books, but it can help them to bond with their baby. They
love getting the packs."
From there, many families start to attend Baby Bounce and
Rhyme Time, a weekly session run at Minet Library, where
parents and children listen to stories, sing songs and share
and borrow books. Booktrust's
'Baby Book Crawl' has encouraged families to choose and
borrow books regularly, in a warm and supportive atmosphere,
with great prizes of free books and certificates as rewards.
Local families are referred for book packs, often by health
visitors. Octavia visits the family in their home with a
pack of carefully selected books, based on the child's age,
interests, and languages spoken in the home. Often, books
can be used to address an issue such as the birth of a new
sibling, or potty training.
Dual-language books are given where necessary, which is
a good way of establishing the importance of respecting
and encouraging bilingualism, as well as showing parents
that their language is valued. As well as starting the child's
home library, parents are encouraged to get library cards
for themselves and their child, to ensure a regular flow
of different books into the home.
The Literacy Development-run story
sack library at Loughborough Children's Centre has over
80 story sacks available for families to borrow on a weekly
basis. Packs contain a book, props or a toy, a related craft
activity and often a story or rhyme tape. The sacks can
be borrowed by families with children under five, and are
designed to encourage an interactive and fun experience
of reading in the home. Sacks may only be borrowed on an
under-fives library card, hopefully establishing these children
in a lifelong library habit.
Outreach work at a teenage mothers' hostel for black and
ethnic minority young parents has included: helping parents
work out which books are most suitable for their children;
getting them to think about including books in their child's
daily routine; and distributing book packs, as well as establishing
a trip to the library as a great choice of free activity
to share with a child.
Weekly Super Story Time sessions attract families with
children under four from many different cultures, speaking
as many as 12 languages between them. Sessions are focused
around a particular story (such as The Very Hungry Caterpillar)
and children and parents work together to create simple
props or craft items related to the book.
Supporting other practitioners with book sharing is an
important part of literacy development. This may include
encouraging early years settings and charities such as Homestart
to have a selection of books for staff and parents to share;
demonstrating how easy it is to make cheap yet effective
props, to bring books alive, or establishing how important
and enjoyable story and song time can be.
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