Bookstart Initiative in Tameside
Bookstart Initiative in Tameside
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Bookstart is a national scheme run by Tameside Libraries to encourage parents and carers to share books with babies. Every 8-month old baby receives a pack containing 2 books, information for parents/carers, a library joining form, and rhyme cards. Activity sessions are run on a regular basis at libraries around Tameside.
Text Only Version
Voiceover
You know libraries have a reputation for being quiet, peaceful places, full of bookworms where not a lot goes on. But not in Tameside.
Welcome to Tickle Time, it's a baby rhyme session for budding readers aged up to 18 months old. There's no chance of nodding off in a quiet corner of Hurst Library in Ashton, and parents and babies just love it.
Parent
She's dead happy here when she's here and she's an only child so she gets a chance to mix with the other kids and that.
Parent
Improving English and the singing every day and the teacher teaching Twinkle Twinkle Little Star. She likes every song and she remembers.
Parent
He recognises things now when he goes to other places, his ears pick up to listen especially on the TV if he hears something he thinks "I've heard that before!" it's quite strange really because he's only 18 months.
Parent
Everyone seems to think that libraries are quiet and boring but it's far from that. These girls really love it.
Voiceover
Tickle Time is part of a Tameside Metropolitan Borough Council initiative called Bookstart. The scheme's been running since 1996, it was one of the first in the country and is now designated a pioneering flagship project.
Catherine Simensky - Borough Librarian
It comes from sharing the books, looking what's on the page listening to mother, bonding with mother or father or whoever and really getting some visual stimulation. And it's this interaction and parents don't often think to talk to their babies, and they need that, that's how they develop. So sharing a book helps them to do all that, and the big thing is that the parents don't need to be able to read, they may have literacy difficulties themselves. That doesn't matter they just have to talk about what they see on the page with the baby.
Voiceover
Janet Perry is the Bookstart Officer at Hurst Library helping to nurture an early appreciation of books among local babies.
Janet Perry - Bookstart Officer
We're trying to encourage children into the library, trying to get mums back into the library who perhaps haven't used the library, and we want to show that it's moving forward and it's a fun place to come and children don't have to be quiet. And what we have to remember is that the young people of today are the readers of tomorrow and they need to feel at home when they come to the library. And as you can see most of them know how to behave, they don't run around throwing books all over the floor.
Voiceover
Good old fashioned singing by parents is thought to be far better for babies' development than tapes, CD's or the television. And the noise and smiles say it all.
Parent
We speak another language at home so when she goes to nursery she has to learn English as well so she can improve her English here.
Parent
It's a great session, there are lots of children here, it's different from a playgroup, it's something new for them, there's lots of reading activities, musical instruments, there's singing.
Parent
When we are at home she asked me, she just does the actions and tell me say like that, so I need to say twinkle twinkle.
Parent
At the moment he's into chewing books but, he'll get there!
Voiceover
At another of Tameside's libraries at Houghton Green a different stage in the Bookstart scheme is also thriving. This is Bookstart Plus and Time for a Rhyme brings together the youngest of babies up to 3 year olds. Again, amongst mothers and grandmothers there's nothing but praise for the project.
Parent
Really, really good scheme, I've really enjoyed coming. I've been coming for 5 years with my little boy, I started coming with him when he was a baby and he's now at school and I bring my little girl now.
Grandmother
Children listen to a story, they have juice and biscuits, and they have instruments. And some children might not do that at home.
Voiceover
It's been a remarkable success story for Bookstart, it's estimated that in Tameside, 16,000 babies have received Bookstart welcome packs and there's strong evidence that early encouragement can lead to improved performance later in life.
Lynne Craigs - Bookstart Manager
We've done 2 full evaluations, one with 18 month old children, and one with children as they go into reception class and in each occasion the children who had been Bookstart children were achieving at the better end all the time on the tests.
Catherine Simensky - Borough Librarian
Every child in the country not only at 8 or 9 months which is where Bookstart begins, but at 18 months and 3 years are going to receive a pack of books free via the library, via the health service, via the nursery. They get free books, parents get information about sharing books with babies, they get crayons. All these sorts of things that's going to help a child's development.
Voiceover
Reading is such a vital skill, and clearly the youngsters of Tameside seem to enjoy every minute of developing their talent. But there is another big benefit of reading, for youngsters and grownups alike a Bookstart session is often followed by a well earned sleep.
All babies receive a Bookstart pack at the 34 week health check at your local clinic. For more information contact the Bookstart office on 0161 343 7824.