Born to Read on Block Island: A Preschool Literacy Initiative
The term "Babies need Books" is credited to Dorothy Butler who wrote a book by the same title, as well as Cushla and her Book, Reading Begins at Home and others. Ms. Butler’s experience stems from her interactions with her handicapped granddaughter, but children with disabilities are not the only ones who need books. All children benefit from the experience of reading and being read to. While education is vital to achieving the goal of equal access to opportunity, Herb suggests that early childhood (B-4) experiences have profound impact on a child's future education and subsequent life experience. Preschool learning forms the foundation for all subsequent education. Butler and Herb are not alone in their observations that reading to small children has a positive influence on children's intellectual growth and development. April Judge (1995), the Association of Library Services for Children (ALSC) and many educators recommend reading to children at an early age. Reading to babies from the time they are born is beneficial.
In September, 1989, the nation's governors met and issued the Joint Statement on the Education Summit with the Nations Governors. A task force was established whose mandate was to recommend a set of education goals to the United States president and state governors. Recommendations were to be based on consultation with teachers, parents, school administrators, school boards and elected officials. In 1994, Congress passed Goals 2000: The Educate America Act. The first of these national education goals was the School Readiness goal: "By the year 2000, all American children will start school ready to learn." (Schugurensky). Three objectives must be met to achieve this goal:
All children will have high-quality, developmentally appropriate preschool programs that help prepare them for school.
Every parent will devote time, DAILY (emphasis added), to help their preschool child learn. Parents will have access to the necessary training and support.
Children will receive nutrition, physical activities and healthcare necessary to begin school with healthy minds and bodies.
Public libraries are natural place to meet those goals; many public libraries provide services that support preschool education and elementary school readiness. In 1987, the American Library Association published Planning and Role setting for Public Libraries: A Manual of Options and Procedures in which McClure et. al identified "Preparing preschoolers for learning" as one of eight roles for public libraries. The authors recommend that public librarians:
Encourage parents to provide literacy activities at home
Provide services to children who are at risk for failing (i.e. offer tutoring or partner with a literacy agency; offer space for tutor to meet with clients
Sponsor community reading activities and celebrations
In 1990, Virginia Matthew's et al paper Kids Need Libraries detailed activities that librarians can offer that meet preschoolers developmental needs. ALA president, Mary Somerville continued the work of Kids Need Libraries with a new campaign in 1996-7: Kids Can't Wait. Participation in preschool programming and family reading activities are two means for progression toward attaining national educational goals. However, there is still much to be accomplished. Steven Herb's (2001) premise is that democracy requires "equal access to the opportunities available in that society" (2001). Several studies indicate that children continue to enter kindergarten unprepared to learn. (See Broderick, 2003 and Marcel, 2002).
Block Island, RI is a small island, twelve miles off the Rhode Island Coast. According to the United States Census Bureau, Census 2000, the island population is 1010. Of these, 63 are under age five. 8% of families with preschoolers are impoverished. according to these statistics, Block Island is not eligible for Federal funding for a Born to Read program. However, based on the results of a community inventory and discussions with education and medical professionals on the Island, Beth Gaffett Tengwall librarian at the Island Free Library has partnered with Mary Donnelly, Block Island's public health nurse, to establish a Born to Read program. The Block Island Preschool Literacy Program will provide literacy activities to Island children between the ages of three and five. The program is one of many Born to Read programs nationwide. Born to Read is being established on Block Island in response to data Mrs. Tengwall gathered from the United States Census Bureau , The 1995 Kids Count Fact Book and her own community survey to determine the need for the program.
A central component of Born to Read is partnership. This concept works well on Block Island; individuals and organizations frequently work together to offer services to the Island community. The partners for Born to Read are The Island Free Library, Mary Donnelly, Block Island's public health nurse and the Block Island Early Learning Center. The Learning Center's primary role is to identify children who may benefit from the program; staff are in an ideal position to identify children who may benefit from the program as well as keeping Mrs. Tengwall informed about their program so that Born to Read will augment, not compete with what the children are receiving in daycare.
Born to Read will be offered once a week, on Thursday mornings, from 10:30 to 12 noon. The one and a half hour period will provide enough time for reading to the children, an activity and the opportunity to circulate materials. The program will run for eight weeks and be offered three times during the calendar year, October through November, February through March and April through May. Children and parents will be allowed to register more than once per year. However, families that have not had the opportunity to participate previously in a given year will receive priority registration. Mrs. Tengwall will work with the children in the children's room while Mrs. Donnelly meets with the parents in the library's meeting room. On alternate weeks parents will be encouraged to stay in the children's room for the reading, which will be structured as a lap-sit program. This provides the parent and child to enjoy the reading together and provide opportunity for parents to observe reading techniques. In general, the 1 1/2 hour program will be divided in thirds: 1/2 hour for the story time, 1/2 hour for an activity and 1/2 hour for children and parents to select and checkout books.
At the first meeting, parents will receive:
On the weeks when parents are meeting with Mrs. Donnelly, the children's program will include:
On alternate weeks, the lapsit component will follow a similar pattern, with an emphasis on the parent and child together. Parents will be ale to observe book sharing techniques that Mrs. Tengwall uses during story time and will be encouraged to help their child with the craft. This gives the children and parents something they've created together. Time will be available for the parents and children to select books and read together before leaving the library. Of course, Mrs. Tengwall will be available to provide guidance as needed.
Publicity
Born to Read on Block Island will be promoted in the following ways. A flyer will be sent to Block Island Post Office box holders. Mrs. Tengwall will speak to the director of the Block Island Early Learning center asking her if a sign can be posted in the center and also asking Ms. Heinz to mention Born To Read on Block Island to parents. Notices will be posted in central locations, such as the grocery store, post office, gift shops that remain open in the fall and, of course the library. Every effort will be made to promote the program personally, to parents who come into the library as well as well as on a one-on-one basis, as opportunity arises. The Born to Read program will be listed on the library's website as well as on the Block Island and More www.ids.net/flybi and on the Block Island School Homepage www.bi,k12.ri.us, for those parents who have school age as well as preschool children..
Evaluation
Four methods of evaluation will be employed:
The number of families registering for the program will be calculated, as well as the number who attend regularly and complete the eight week session.
Average number of children and parents attending the weekly program
Circulation statistics will be used to estimate whether families are reading more often than before the program.
Parents will be asked to complete an evaluation form at the end of the eight week program.
Mrs. Donnelly will evaluate the parent education portion of the program using similar criteria. In addition, she will determine whether, as a result of Born to Read, more parents are making appropriate use of health care services available on the island. An effort will be made to determine if parents are utilizing mainland resources as well.
The intended outcome of Born to Read is that parents and children will discover (or rediscover) the pleasures of reading individually or as a family. In addition, parents will have the skills and resources they need to make health care decisions.
