BookSpring’s Shared Beginnings Program: Thoughts from a Young Mother

Below is a letter transcribed, as written, from two young mothers who enjoy BookSpring’s Shared Beginning’s Program at a local high school.  In the Shared Beginnings programs, BookSpring visits with young mothers emphasizing the importance of brain development and reading to their new babies. The mothers read, complete an activity and leave with new books they can share with their child.

“Dear RIF sponsors,

I never really read much, but since I’ve had my son, I find myself picking up his books and reading to him so that he will become interested in reading. I often find him turning pages in his book now and looking at the pictures, it makes me feel good knowing that ya’ll have helped encourage my son to be interested in book. [sic] I enjoy spending this time with my son, cuddling up to a good book and reading it to him, showing him something that will influence him for the rest of his life” Thanxs Sandra

Another mother wrote:

“I really enjoy the books that I receive such as “Sleep”. Every night I read this book to my baby before she goes to sleep and I know her brain is developing because she laughs when she reads certain words.”  Amber

My recent experience with a Mother, her children and a few books.

I have been trying to decide whether or not to write about this recent experience and have decided that it is an important story to tell.

Recently, I had the benefit of spending an evening  with a family staying at my church with the Inter-faith Hospitality Network. IHN is a program that offers support for homeless families working to put their lives back on track.  These families move from church to church on a weekly basis and  with everything they own and can carry.

It was my turn to host a meal and of course I gathered some books from the BookSpring office hoping there would be children. Indeed there were 6 children visiting that week. Four children under the age of 9 were staying with their mother who had worked 3 shifts at a local sandwich shop that day. She was understandably tired and was very stern with her 4 kids.

The 3 children all attend an elementary school I know well which receives RIF services and the kids immediately recognized the RIF label on the books. The 6 year old did not eat her dinner, but read her new book.  When I helped the 4 year old write her name, I mistakenly told her to keep the book and take it home. In her sweet, innocent voice she responded, “we don’t have a home.”

The 9 year old picked out a book for his 1 year old brother and took it over to their mom.  From across the room, I listened as she read the book, repeating the words, “Babies need love. Babies need kisses” all while kissing and tickling the youngest.  She then asked if she could keep the book.

For a few short minutes, this mom held a book and her baby in her lap and read. It was a sweet and wonderful moment.

These books do matter,  parents do want to do the right thing.  We all want the best for our children.

Reilly Elementary’s Literacy Night! See the BookSpring difference!

Leah Davies is the Program Manager for BookSpring and shared this story from a Literacy Night- enjoy!

Last night, I volunteered after work at Reilly Elementary’s Literacy Night. We partnered with them by providing the literacy games for their event. The librarian and Parent Support Specialist there are a dynamic duo!

The event was relatively well attended, but I must admit that the highlight of the night for me was while I was working at the “Book-Making,” station! At this station, children get to author and illustrate a book of their own which they then get to keep! Several students jumped right in and began, while most of the students needed a bit of encouragement.

One little girl was very hesitant to engage, but I watched her as she worked and she wrote a NOVEL! She included chapter markers, a very thorough story-line, and beautiful illustrations. When she was finished, I asked her if she would share her story with me. She read me the book, beaming the entire time. When I told her what a wonderful job she had done, she revealed that she couldn’t wait to share her book with her teacher, brother, and mom.

Very sweet – totally warmed my heart and reminded me that the work BookSpring does makes a difference!

BookSpring Participates in Austin’s Promise Neighborhood Meeting

The Promise Neighborhood meeting held today at the Carver Museum was inspirational!  We are delighted to see what the future holds for this opportunity, and with the substantial amount of community support displayed by today’s large turnout, we have no doubt that whatever comes from this gathering of the minds will be wonderful!  The planning committees are working on all kinds of details which include: which neighborhood in Austin will be highlighted in the grant application, strategic planning, and accounting for and responding to stakeholder interest.   Promise Neighborhood will follow the model set by The Harlem Children’s Zone and has many similarities with BookSpring’s Neighborhood of Readers.  Representative Stroma noted that this is a large-scale “cradle to college,” community wide comprehensive pipeline to stop inter-generational poverty.  Several things were highlighted as important parts of what a promise neighborhood would need to include: accountability, continued community input, real-time data and response, early childhood intervention, continued and comprehensive programming, and a small area to initiate this work with.  There were representatives present from: COA, Southwest Key, University of Texas, Texas House of Representatives, AISD Trustees, St. John Community School Alliance, Child Inc, APIE, United Way, Sylvan Learning, Foundation Communities, LifeWorks, as well as many other movers and shakers in the greater Austin area.

BookClub Update: Success Rate for Parents visiting Austin Public Library!

Lili Cantu, BookSpring BookClub coordinator, is making great strides with the BookClubs being offered by BookSpring at local AISD elementary schools.

BookSpring as been piloting an experimental voucher program with parents at Blanton, Jordan, Dawson and Metz elementary schools.  When parents attend a book club at the school, they receive a voucher to exchange for coupons, t-shirts, booklights,etc. when they visit the local Austin public library. Many parents do not make the local  library part of their routine and unfortunately have never visited their local branch.

Well that is changing…. thanks to BookSpring and Lili!

Of the parents attending, over 65% have visited the library and over 50% have made multiple trips!!!

“Parents have brought library books to class to share with their fellow parents, told us about checking out parenting books for themselves to help with parenting challenges, and told us about getting kicked out of the library because they stayed past closing time!  We are very excited by these results, and hope to continue this partnership next semester and beyond!” Lili Cantu

Contact BookSpring if you or your business is interested in donating prizes and or coupons!

Economist says early childhood education makes sense!

A must read! 

http://www.stltoday.com/blogzone/the-grade/general-news/2009/10/federal-economist-says-early-childhood-education-makes-sense/

BookSpring programs support early literacy through Reach Out and Read, Parent Book Clubs, Read Aloud trainings with our non-profit partners!

BookSpring Bookclubs are Amazing! Listen to this story-

Lili Cantu conducts Parent Bookclubs at local elementary schools on behalf of BookSpring. Parents are invited to meet in the morning before school  to discuss and share children’s books.  Lili has been offering incentives for parents to visit the local library- at Blanton Elementary parents meet and over 60% have visited the local public library for the very first time- one family even had to be “kicked out” at closing time!

One mother recently told this story: Parents were asked to find books about numbers at the library. One mother checked out M&M’s Counting Book.  The daughter is evidently very shy and her teacher thought she was behind in Math. So… the mother taped her daugher reading the M&M book and then showed the teacher that indeed her daughter does know her numbers!

A great example of empowering parents to advocate for their children- through the power of literacy!

Sylvan Learning Shares the “Magic of Reading” with RIF at Andrews Elementary

Andrews Elementary had a special guest visitor for RIF week today. Gabby, from Central Sylvan Learning was just as puzzled by Staci Golman’s magic tricks as the kids were! We are still trying to figure out how the ball traveled across the room so quickly.

The magic, however, was in the kids’ faces as they chose their new books to take home. One child was especially pleased when told he would be moving classes and needed to select a book in English- he took special care to pick the right book- Rikki-Tikki-Tavi what a great story!

Thanks Gabby- I know they loved Sylvester and the Magic Pebble!

Students Choose Brand New Books during RIF Week!

Leah Davies selects books for RIF week!

Did you know that 61% of low-income families

have no age-appropriate books AT ALL in their homes?

BookSpring brings the Reading Is Fundamental Books for Ownership program to 28 Austin elementary schools 3 times each year.

BookSpring arrives at an elementary library with crates of brand new books.  Students enjoy a motivational activity and are allowed time to walk around and check out the books choices.  Leah Davies, RIF Program Manager, and volunteers carefully select quality and age-appropriate books for RIF collections.

Students select a book of their choice, write their name in their brand new book and often sneak off into a corner to read.

How great is that?

A great story from a volunteer!

Today I visited with a friend from the National Charity League who voluteered with her daughter at BookSpring this summer. She told me about a particular day at BookSpring when they were sorting through used books (used books are distributed at local medical clinics).  They sorted for hours as they discovered special books that  triggered memories of when and where they shared a particular book. Quickly, a book became a house in St. Louis, a book still on the daughter’s shelf, an inside family joke…….

Children are made readers on the laps of their parents.(1994) 
~ Emilie Buchwald ~