Evaluation of Bookstart - 2001
The National Centre for Research in Children's Literature University of Surrey Roehampton
August 2001
Published by Booktrust (ISBN: 0 85353 490 X)
The National Centre for Research in Children's Literature was contracted to assess the initial impact and effectiveness of the Sainsbury's Bookstart programme, which was sponsored by the supermarket chain from January 1999 to April 2001.
The aim of the research was to establish whether the project had succeeded in its aim to encourage parents and families to provide a rich early experience of reading and thus to lay down the necessary foundation for subsequent reading development and appreciation of reading as an activity.
The evaluation was both quantitative and qualitative in nature. Information gathered from pre- and post-Bookstart questionnaires was analysed. The qualitative component was made up of observations and interviews of a sample group conducted by trained, local researchers.
The sample consisted of 75 families with a control group of 30.
The overall findings of the research showed:
Widespread awareness of and receptivity for the Bookstart message
More parents/carers valuing reading with babies and young children
Changed attitudes to the role of reading in child development and personal interaction with children
Better book-sharing skills and ways of extending reading as an activity
Increased reading with babies and young children: across all case study groups, parents and carers reported reading more and reading more often
Before the Bookstart intervention, 78% of respondents said that they were already reading books with their baby, but nearly half (47% of all those who completed the questionnaire) said that they read more after receiving the Bookstart pack. Percentage of parents reporting that they read with their babies rose from 78% to 91% after the Bookstart intervention. The number of parents/carers who said they read with their babies every day rose from 47% (pre-Bookstart) to 60% after the Bookstart intervention. |
Increased library membership for babies
Only 64% of those questioned reported visiting the library at least once a month, whereas, after Bookstart, the figure rose to 85%. Only 5% of Bookstart parents/carers said that their babies were members of the local library before they received the pack; this figure rose to 31% after they received Bookstart. |
Increased confidence with regard to reading to children
In second interview, 31% of case study parents/carers said they were more confident about reading to their children. A good demonstration of this comes from one family described in the report: 'At the fist observation, Mum said she likes reading but was not entirely confident about reading at her own level. She was however, confident about reading to her son. Since receiving the pack, she has joined a book club and buys books for her baby. At the second observation she told the researcher that she was much more confident reading out loud since she had been reading to her baby. She also values the "cuddly" time reading together encourages: "It's the only time he comes for a cuddle. We talk together … When I started I was amazed that books would grab the attention of such a little baby and it's got even better!" NB: The researcher noted that this mother struggled with reading some words but is VERY positive about reading to baby. He makes lots of responses, recognises books, gets books for presents, and Mum has growing knowledge.' |
Increased awareness of the role reading can play in speech/language development.
All the adults in the selected case-studies credited Bookstart with helping language development in their baby. "I can see she's saying words and recognising pictures and saying names in the books. I didn't think books would help like that before… It has made a difference." "My husband and I both had speech problems and saw speech therapists when we were young and hope that reading together will help (our child) to speak properly." |
NB Unfortunately the full version of this report is currently unavailable.