Baby Bookstart: a pilot-Project on Madeira Island
Submitted by:
Margarida Pocinho
Abstract:
Background
Children acquire basic literacy skills from an early age, and several studies have shown that this development plays a fundamental role in learning and acquiring reading and writing. The literature shows that the promotion of reading from an early age holistically promotes the child's development. The skills that children develop through contact with books range from linguistic, cognitive, social, and emotional skills. Through listening to stories, children can understand the feelings of others and simulate social experiences (Bal & Veltkamp, 2013). The role of parents in this project is crucial since they are very significant people for the child and are their closest relational context (Mata & Pedro, 2021), so they will play a role in the child's role in this project. The Madeira Bookstart Project is a longitudinal study whose main purpose is to encourage reading practices in a family context.
Methodology
Participants: Families with children between 0 and 5 years old which received BookStart kits. Six library technicians from reading and education field supporting the BookStart Project.
Instruments: Semi-structured questionnaires with open and closed questions are carried out at the beginning and end of the project, as well as monitoring every six months, since the children 1st to 5th year of age. This is the phase one, which includes children born in 2022, from February to October, and live in the rural village of Madeira.
Findings
Mothers read the BookStart Kit mainly two times a week. They generally read children's stories in the afternoon and/or night. Babies show interest and curiosity. The majority do not visit the Library but are aware of the importance of early reading in their children's academic and professional future. The lack of time for personal and family life and, thus, to read to the children are the obstacles to developing this project.
Conclusions
Implementing this project will bring potential benefits to children: it will contribute to language development, facilitate the learning of reading and writing, and contribute to the establishment of a healthy relationship between parents and children.