Caroline Barratt-Pugh

Making a Difference: Findings from "Better Beginnings" a Family Literacy Intervention Programme.

Since 2005, Better Beginnings, an early intervention, statewide family literacy programme developed by The State Library of Western Australia, has provided thousands of families with strategies and resources to promote and support book-sharing from birth. This paper reports on the key findings of an independent longitudinal evaluation of the programme’s impact on parents / carers approximately one year after they were introduced to the Better Beginnings programme. Parents/carers were asked about their book sharing practices, beliefs about the importance of sharing books, and library membership and participation in related library activities. Responses from the participants strongly indicated that the programme was well received and had a significantly positive impact on the child, other family members and the participants. The evaluation also raised a number of issues, which have implications for further development of the programme.

The changing perspectives of librarians in the Better Beginnings family literacy program

Libraries across Australia are becoming increasingly involved in the development and implementation of family literacy programs, placing librarians at the centre of this initiative. Better Beginnings is a family literacy program developed by the State Library of Western Australian and delivered throughout the state. The program involves a partnership between public libraries, health professionals and local governments that has developed to support the delivery of early literacy resources and strategies to parents of young babies. Librarians play a major role in the delivery, implementation and sustainability of the program. This paper reports the findings from the longitudinal evaluation of Better Beginnings in four communities, across four years, in relation to the perspectives of librarians responsible for the program in their library. Librarians were interviewed about their role in the program and its effectiveness, the training they had received and the collaboration between the professionals involved in the program. The data revealed that over a period of four years librarians had developed an understanding of the purpose and importance of the program, which had led to a sense of ownership and commitment. This was supported by central coordination of the program and collaboration with child-health nurses. Over the four years, they had developed and increased library activities and created ‘family spaces’ linked to Better Beginnings. They felt the program was effective in promoting literacy in families with young children, but sought more strategies for engaging families that did not traditionally visit libraries or have access to libraries.

Evaluation of Family Literacy Programs: A Case Study of Better Beginnings, a Library-Initiated Family Literacy Bookgifting Program in Western Australia

Abstract:This paper examines the nature of family literacy programs, with a particular focus on those that are based around the provision of free books to babies and young children, sometimes called “bookgifting” programs. First, the paper explores the rationale for family literacy programs in general and identifies some issues in their evaluation. It then focuses specifically on bookgifting programs. Using examples from several well-established programs, it reviews the research on which they are based, with particular reference to evaluation procedures. Next, the paper identifies some important issues that need to be addressed when planning and evaluating these programs, and notes some fundamental differences between particular programs that may have impacted on the results. It argues that this area of research needs stronger definition and a more inclusive approach to evaluation that includes both quantitative and qualitative methodologies. In order to illustrate the potential of a mixed-method approach, the paper examines the evaluation of the Better Beginnings bookgifting program for babies that has been initiated, developed, and extended by the State Library of Western Australia for over a decade. The paper concludes by suggesting that effective program evaluation is complex and multifaceted and must consider changes in behavior, confidence, and attitudes, as well as the ways in which such programs are experienced and integrated into family literacy practices. This approach provides insight into the contextual variables that determine the effectiveness of programs within and across families, and therefore inform further program development.

The First Time I’ve Felt Included: Identifying Inclusive Literacy Learning in Early Childhood through the Evaluation of Better Beginnings

Abstract In this chapter we begin by discussing the concept of inclusion, with a particular focus on inclusion in literacy learning in the early years (birth to five) in Australia. We then consider the research evidence for the potential impact of home literacy practices in the early years on later school and life outcomes, and examine some early childhood family literacy initiatives that aim to help develop young children’s literacy learning. We describe how Better Beginnings, a universal family literacy programme, supports parents/carers and children to build their skills, knowledge and understandings of early literacy. We show how Better Beginnings has operated, adapted and expanded in response to longitudinal systematic evaluations and explain how new programmes have been created to address the specific needs of particular groups of families, with the long-term intent of maximising inclusion for all families of young children in Western Australia. We identify aspects of inclusion, through which diversity is constructed as the norm rather than the exception. We conclude by suggesting that establishing connections between family literacy practices and school literacy programmes which embrace inclusivity is one of the first steps towards ensuring that all children are able to reach their potential and become active participants in a literate society.

Engaging Children in Reading for Pleasure: A Better Beginnings Project Linking Libraries with Primary Schools

Abstract The Hairytales of Heroboy programme was implemented in two communities, one metropolitan and one regional, in Western Australia in 2012. The programme, which targeted the reading skills of six- to nine-year-old children, aimed to encourage them to read for pleasure, to build their reading confidence and to improve their literacy skills. The programme was managed by librarians in each community who made contact with children in their local schools to encourage their participation. Teachers in the local schools were provided with Teachers’ Guides of activities to use which supported the work of the librarians. In the metropolitan setting, eight school sites and 28 students participated in the programme evaluation. In the regional setting, two school sites and nine students participated. A qualitative approach to gathering and analysing data was used in an evaluation of the implementation of the programme. This paper provides an outline of the delivery model used in each community and a summary of the perspectives of librarians, teachers, students and their parents/carers. It also provides a discussion of the range of issues that had an impact on the implementation of the programme in each community. The evaluation found the programme was engaging for the participants through the provision of interesting materials, and could have had greater impact if stronger partnerships between the libraries and the schools had been developed.

Better Beginnings: Public Libraries Making Literacy Links with the Adult Community

Abstract The Better Beginnings READ! 3 pilot initiative, conducted through public libraries in Western Australia, sought to engage adult readers who were either emerging readers or who had ‘lost the reading habit’ in a three month reading challenge. The challenge involved adult readers reading three items in three months and being rewarded for their involvement through certificates and prizes. In seeking to make contact with those adult readers, it was suggested that librarians or library officers make contact with various community groups or businesses, or with adults directly. This qualitative study examined how the initiative was implemented and promoted in three libraries and identified the range of issues that had impact on its implementation. The study collected data from participants at each site in two stages: during the implementation of the initiative; and at the conclusion of the initiative. The study found that librarians and library officers either acted as drivers, themselves, or needed coordinators of community groups to act as co-drivers to enhance the implementation of the initiative. Various issues at each site affected the implementation of the initiative and a consideration of these issues enabled this study to offer recommendations for future implementation of similar initiatives.