Bookstart Around the World 1
Bookstart Around the World Several studies have f
ocused on measurable indications of literacy activities in the home. There are also studies that focus on other, more qualitative aspects of these activities. Kucirkova et al. (2018) examined things that may affect the quality and frequency of reading in the home. They created a scale in order to be able to assess the quality of sessions in the home where parents and children read together. The scale was created according to known methods for reading aloud in an educational context, such as interaction, asking questions, pointing to things in the book, being supportive and encouraging etc. This scale then makes it possible to study the correlation between various variables and the quality of the reading session. Amongst other things, they found that the relationship between parents and children has an impact, and that parents with temperamental children generally have more qualitative reading sessions. One recurring reading concept is dialogic reading, or dialogue reading, which, in simple terms, is when a child is involved in the reading. This interaction could involve asking the child questions, pointing to things in the book, repeating words, adapting the reading to the child’s interests, connecting events to things the child is familiar with etc. (see, for example, Wirth et al., 2019 and Bergström & Wijk, 2018). Bookgifting programmes aim to increase the desire to read in the home, and emphasise the importance of families doing so, because apart from being beneficial, it can also be a fun and cosy activity. However, there is an aspiration to increase the quality of reading, which is also important (Bergström & Wijk, 2018) in order for reading aloud and other literacy activities (such as chanting, rhyming, singing etc.) to have the effects described here for children. The guidance offered to parents when they are given the books is therefore especially important, and this is also highlighted as a success factor as to why the Reach Out and Read programme seems to be so effective (Bondt, Willenberg & Bus, 2020). Based on Språkstegen (a Bokstart programme in the Blekinge and Kronoberg regions), Bergström and Wijk (2018) emphasise that it is important to demonstrate to parents how dialogue reading is done. Training and skills development for the professions that become Bokstart representatives are thus particularly important. Apps et al. (2016) describe a number of factors that appear to be recurring themes for successful book giveaways. Examples highlighted in the evaluation, and which are also seen in other contexts, are committed book givers, personal contact, listening to the family and child, good guidance for parents, and regular occasions for personal contact. From the evaluation of SPRÅKA, LEKA, LÄSA, the authors highlight how important it is for those implementing the project to be given sufficient time and resources for planning to make the project successful. Regular evaluation and planning discussions are also important. Another important aspect is that efforts should be anchored amongst managers and decision makers (Johansson and Hillén, 2016). 4.3.2 General or targeted efforts? Many bookgifting programmes directly or indirectly target families who are in need of extra support. In this section, we describe some aspects of adapting to target groups, especially in relation to multilingual families and those with poorer socioeconomic circumstances. According to research, we know that socioeconomic variables comprise a risk factor for language development in children (see, for example, Shahaeian, 2018). Furthermore, several impact measurements indicate that bookgifting programmes can be effective with regards to evening out these circumstances (Needlman et al., 2019; Byington et al., 2008; Diener et al., 2012; Venn, 2014; Needlman & Silverstein, 2004). Many studies that measure the impact also focus on groups with a lower socioeconomic status (Needlman & Silverstein, 2004). In an evaluation of Bookstart, families with a lower socioeconomic status reported a greater benefit than did those with a high status (Venn, 2014), and Fricke et al. (2016) also noted that the effects of Reach Out and Read are often relatively larger in families with lower levels of education. As Berg (2015) shows, the greatest fear is that a bookgifting programme should fail in reaching out to these groups. In the case of the Netherlands, the challenge is related to the fact that the interaction between the Bookstart worker and the parents relies on the parents going to the library. In that model, therefore, it appears to be a challenge to reach those families who have less insight into how important reading is to their children. As Berg further describes, such a model can support those who already have favourable conditions rather than the opposite: 28/52