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Public library training for parents,
caregivers dramatically boosts early literacy across income,
education levels
Significant rise in literacy behaviors sparks
love of reading in children and adults,
plus leaps in
library use
SEATTLE - A new study of the impact of
research-based early literacy practices in public libraries finds
that parents and caregivers of young children from birth to 5
years who took part in public library early literacy programs
across the United States from 2002-03 significantly increased
their literacy behaviors.
The behaviors introduced led to significant gains
in children's reading readiness, as parents and caregivers
embraced new strategies that helped the children they care for
enjoy reading. Participants in the study now flock to libraries
to check out books for themselves, as well as age-appropriate materials
for very young children.
More than 30,000 children were reached during
the program, including 11,612 from birth to 23 months; 14,072
children aged 2 and 3; and 4,564 children aged 4 and 5. Of more
than 1,300 parents and caregivers who attended the 304 early
literacy sessions, approximately 500 parents and caregivers
(including those with 14 first languages other than English) took
part in intake and follow-up interviews.
The results show:
* Parents of every age, educational background,
income level and ethnicity who took part in library early
literacy programs significantly increased literacy behaviors,
including employing intentional, open questions (for 2-3 year
olds) and increased their library use;
* Teen parents and low-education, low-income parents
- who showed the fewest literacy behaviors at the outset - showed
impressive, significant gains across the board, especially in
reading to children 0-23 months old and a better understanding of
which books are age appropriate. A month after the program began,
differences between low- and middle-income parents had
disappeared;
* Parents of 0-23 month olds made the largest
percentage gains in sharing books - increasing weekly sharing of
books with children by 16 percent and daily sharing by almost 25
percent;
* Early literacy training worked best when
delivered in Head Start centers, schools, teen parent program
sites, hospitals, prisons and other locations, and then drew
participants into libraries; and
* Caregivers, while at first more knowledgeable
about many early literacy behaviors
than parents, became more aware of the importance of sharing
books daily, even with babies 0-23 months old; used more a
playful, intentional approach to literacy; chose shorter books
with fewer words which they discussed more and significantly
increased library use as a result of their participation.
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The Early Literacy Project began in 2000 with a
partnership among the Public Library Association (PLA), the
Association of Library Service to Children (ALSC) and the
National Institute of Child Health and Human Development (NICHD),
a division of the National Institutes of Health. In October
2001, 20 demonstration public library sites tested the materials,
and 14 libraries subsequently took part in the 2002-03 evaluation
study. The results were released today at the Early Literacy
Preconference, part of PLA's 10th National Conference in Seattle,
February 24-28.
The study sought to answer two key questions:
What effect do public libraries have on parent and caregiver
education for early literacy and, when parents and caregivers of
low-income children take part in early literacy programs designed
by the PLA/ALSC Early Literacy Initiative, do they understand and
use the best practices they learn?
"Libraries have always been critical to
developing early reading skills," said PLA President Luis
Herrera. "This study is significant proof of the important
role of public libraries in training parents and caregivers on
how to start and keep young children on the path to lifelong
literacy."
The six behaviors
introduced were:
Talking to babies about objects in their surroundings,
encouraging toddlers to name objects in pictures in books and
asking general questions to encourage them to say more than one
word, and introducing preschoolers to letters (their sounds and
names), playing word games and building their vocabulary.
Participant
libraries are: Allen Country Public Library (Ind.),
Baltimore County Public Library (Md.), District of Columbia
Public Library, Hennepin County Public Library (Minn.), King
County Library System (Wash.), Metropolitan Library System
(Okla.), Minneapolis Public Library (Minn.), Montgomery County
Public Library (Md), Multnomah Country Public Library (Ore.),
Phoenix Public Library, Pierce Country Public Library (Wash.),
Provo City Library (Utah), San Antonio Public Library, and West
Bloomfield Public Library (Mich.).
"Given these encouraging results, we urge
more libraries to follow this model of parent and caregiver
education. They are eager for research-based content, and
this study shows they will use what they learn," said
Harriet Henderson, co-chair of the Early Childhood Literacy
Project and past PLA President. Elaine Meyers, head of
children's and young adult services at Burton Barr Central
Library in Phoenix, also co-chaired the project.
According to the 2003 National Assessment of
Educational Progress, there is a 90 percent probability that a
child will remain a poor reader at the end of the fourth grade if
the child is a poor reader at the end of the first grade.
"These early literacy materials are
exactly what we need to train our staff and to use in our Books
Aloud! programs for parents and caregivers, so we all can help
children get ready to be successful readers. Thank you!"
said Hedra Packman, Chief, Office of Public Service Support, Free
Library of Philadelphia.
The report recommends that
libraries:
*Target parents of 0-23 month olds whose use of
early literacy behaviors is the lowest among parents of
preschoolers and who make dramatic increases after attending
sessions;
* Continue to target teen parents and those
with low education and low income, who are less likely to know or
use early literacy behaviors but make dramatic gains once they
learn them;
* Use nontraditional methods to continue to
reach young, low-income, low-educated parents who don't visit
libraries, especially given that transportation to the library
was discovered to be a significant barrier for low-income teen
parents.
* Use personal contacts with other organizations
to attract parents and caregivers to early literacy programs
rather than rely on internal posters or radio/TV ads;
* Help non-native-English-speaking parents
understand that reading, talking and singing to children in their
first language will help develop literacy skills; and
* Reconsider library fine and card policies
that keep low-income, teen parents from libraries for fear of
fees for lost or damaged books or the overdue fines they
experienced as children, then find creative ways to let parents
know.
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"As a children's librarian, I have long
appreciated how story time and other popular library reading
initiatives can engage families and ignite a love of
reading," said ALSC President Cynthia Richey. "This new
research-based approach provides a substantial framework for
librarians collaborating with parents and caregivers beyond story
time."
A recent national poll conducted by the Marist
College Institute for Public Opinion found that Americans rank
reading programs for children the top priority for library
service. Open hours on evenings and weekends and computers
for public use ranked second and third.
Among the changes some libraries
made while participating in the study were:
* King County conducted a popular program for
teen moms at a local shopping mall, with free books, finger
puppets and food for participating parents;
* West Bloomfield rearranged its children's
section by reading levels;
* San Antonio launched "Lunch 'n
Learn," an on-site corporate early literacy programs at
Chase Manhattan and Pathologies Lab, which had excellent
turnouts;
* Allen County created "story PACs,"
with four books, stamps, a puzzle, puppet and activity sheets on
one letter or number for parents/caregivers to check out, as well
as handout sheets with the librarian's phone number;
* Hennepin County secured funds for a yearlong
early literacy planning process so all 30 youth service staff
could attend three-day retreats that focused on early literacy
research, engaging parents and story time training; and
* Phoenix began a "Bonding With Baby"
story time in three libraries for children from birth to 23
months old.
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"These results highlight the critical
value libraries add to their communities, and show one invaluable
way we reach far beyond our doors," added American Library
Association President Carla Hayden, a former children's librarian
who is now Executive Director of the Enoch Pratt Library in
Baltimore.
PLA
and ALSC are divisions of the ALA.
To
interview project co-chairs and spokespeople from PLA and ALSC,
please contact:
Larra Clark at 312.545.5043
Rochelle Lefkowitz at 650.599.9996 or
Aggie Ponickly at 212.245.0510
AMERICAN LIBRARY ASSOCIATION
50 E. Huron Chicago, IL 60611 Call Us Toll Free 1-800-545-2433
©2005 American Library Association. Reprinted with
permission.
Release
date: February 24, 2004
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