R.E.A.D

R.E.A.D. (Read, Enjoy and Do)

Barbara Flynn

In 1997, the Park Forest Public Library was successful in securing a grant to provide a model program for newborns and their parents titled "Babies and Books, Yes!" (Baby). Its purpose for newborns was to encourage reading early on in the life of an infant by providing parents with kits that would encourage them to read to their child as soon as possible after birth. This was done for a very solid reason.

Recent research had shows that reading to infants proven to have a significant impact on a child's development of language and the ability to learn. Children who have been read to respond to classroom instruction more readily than those without experience with books. In 1985, the Commission on Reading issued its report. Becoming a Nation of Readers. One of its primary findings was the following: "The single most important activity for building the knowledge required for eventual success in reading is reading aloud to children." The American Academy of Pediatrics recommends that pediatricians prescribe reading to infants and toddlers as part of standard pediatric care. A study published in Science in September 1997, points out that children as young as eight months can hear and remember words. Researchers at the University of Otago in New Zealand recently reported that infants as young as six months can remember actions from a previous day. Even babies six weeks old can copy simple tasks. There is even evidence that newborns seek out a familiar voice of a parent, even the father, if the parent has spoken to the child before birth.

With these concepts as inspiration, the librarians at the Park Forest Public Library directed their attention to developing a program that would focus on these languages needs of the very young. To obtain the needed funds, they applied for an Illinois State Library Services and Construction Act Grant. This grant, Project #1-98-0296, in the amount of $16,307 was awarded in August 1997. With the help of this grant, the project, "BABY" was launched. It had been a steady success, and word-of-mouth continues to keep new mothers and fathers coming into the library and asking about the "BABY" kit. The library board of trustees and library staff are all very pleased at this success.

After the kick-off program for the "BABY" grant and the segment on the Park Forest Public Library and "BABY" grant that appeared on WBBM- TV Channel 2 News on Nov. 20, 1997 ("Here's 2 Park Forest Readers," with an audience of 154,000), many parents and teachers began asking for the next step. What would the library have to offer after the "BABY" grant? Would there be something for the older children? It was determined that "older" ranged from one to 10 years, depending on the inquirer. Leaders of various community groups also approached the library about having a special program for preschoolers.

So, while still in the midst of the "BABY" grant the staff began thinking about the next grant, one that would pick up where the "BABY" grant left off. The first order of business was to determine what age group would be targeted and what type of service would be provided. The process began with the library staff talking with parents, teachers and daycare providers to determine specific needs. The next step was to look for a grant that would help fund this new or at least extended service.

Although some of the parents who suggested expanding the "BABY" program are library users, a number of community groups opened this opportunity for a large segment of the underserved population. These parents and others like them, many of whom were brought to the library as a library visit by the community group, were the target audience. Also part of the target audience were those parents whose children were not able to participate in the BABY project.

Activities Accomplished During the Grant Period

Read, Enjoy and Do (R.E.A.D.) is intended to provide materials to help and encourage parents and care-givers to make reading a meaningful and enjoyable

• Barbara Flynn, Administrative Librarian, Park Forest Public Library.

learning experience for the children. Immediately upon receiving notification of the grant award, the partners for the grant, The Family Enrichment Center, Aunt Martha's Youth Services/Head Start and the Park Forest Health Department, were contacted to schedule a meeting. A follow up meeting was held to discuss the contents of the kits, which would be prepared and circulated by the library.

Since the library was building on the success of the "BABY" grant, it was initially thought that the same type of reading kit would need to be prepared. The BABY kit consisted of a board book; an audiocassette; printed materials stressing the importance of reading, how to choose books, and pertinent bibliographies; a finger puppet; a bib and rattle with the specially designed BABY logo; and a BABY logo magnet listing library hours. These kits were given to parents of newborns to get them started reading to their children.

The library was also building on the success of the "Literacy Initiative" kits for which it had received a grant in 1991. These "Literacy Initiative" kits contained books, audiocassettes, videocassettes, puppets, puzzles, toys and other items. The kits, which are circulated to daycare centers and preschoolers, are still maintained by the library and are in constant use.

It was initially thought that a combination of the two kits would work best. Initial plans called for a book, related audiocassette, videocassette, toy and an activity sheet to be placed in the special READ bag, Adequate grant money was available for 25 of the specially prepared kits. Thinking changed at the second meeting with the leaders of the Family Enrichment Program.

The second meeting determined that too much was planned for each of these circulating R.E.A.D. bags. Unlike the "Literacy Initiative" kits, which are handled by a teacher with a group of children, the R.E.A.D. bags are designed to be used by a child and its parents. The "Literacy "Initiative" kits contain a list of contents, and the items checked and counted before and after checkout, in the presence of the borrower. The people from the Family Enrichment Program were very sure that individual parents would not want to be responsible for a large number of items. Other considerations included the ways in which the materials would be used and the time necessary to make best use of the materials.

It was determined that each R.E.A.D. bag would consist of a book, related audiocassette or videocassette, a related toy and an activity sheet that guide the parent(s)/caregiver(s) in the best way to use the materials. A suggestion for a snack to prepare is included on each activity sheet. This prepared snack brings the family together and further highlights reading as an enjoyable and desirable activity.

It was also decided that one of the leaders of the Family Enrichment Program would work closely with the library in developing the activity sheets for each R.E.A.D. bag. The leaders drew extensively from the story sacks that are used with their client group and added new ones as needed. Because the number of items in each R.E.A.D. bag was reduced, the library was able to purchase and prepare more of these circulating bags. One of the Family Enrichment Program leaders also accepted the assignment of going to a local toy store to see what types of items were available. She came back to the library with a prepared list of such items and they were ordered from appropriate venders.

Preparation then began for the design of the logo, posters, flyers, etc. A search began for a public relations firm that would be willing to work planning the brochures, flyers, etc., and, most of all, the gala kick-off even that would introduce R.E.A.D. to the community.

Chamerlik Design of Skokie, the graphic design firm that worked on the "BABY" project, was selected. The firm was asked to design an effective logo and to engage Kay Smith, a Chicago illustrator, to do a water-color illustration for the posters and flyers. Ms. Smith had worked with Chamerlik Design on the BABY posters and flyers and had produced a memorable illustration. She no doubt would do the same for the R.E.A.D. project.

Since the library had no experience in hiring a public relations firm, the administrative librarian of the Park Forest Public Library contacted Louise McAulay, Executive Director of the Suburban Library System, to ask for advice and a recommendation Ms. McAulay recommended Skurdy Partners of the Oak Park, a firm she had done business with on behalf of the Suburban Library System.

The administrative librarian got in touch with Stephanie Skurdy at Skurdy Partners and explained the grant and its objectives. Ms. Skurdy was immediately interested in the project and a meeting was planned to

discuss the goals and objectives of the grant project and as to devise a strategy that would help the librarian to achieve them.

The first meeting with Skurdy, the administrative librarian and the director of Youth Services was a productive one. Ms. Skurdy read the grant carefully and discussion followed about the community, the number of people the library wished to reach, long term plans in regard to other possible grants, and a review of what had already been done in the area of reading and reading readiness. A date was set for a second meeting, at which time Ms. Skurdy would present her plans for the publicity program.

By the time Ms. Skurdy met with the administrative librarian and the director of Youth Services for the second time, Chamerlik Design had sent preliminary sketches for the poster and flyers. Ms. Skurdy proved her expertise when she looked at the design and immediately spotted a flaw.

The preliminary drawing featured a mother and son seated on the floor sharing a book. At the left hand side of the drawing, running vertically, were the initials R E A D. Horizontally, above the drawing of the mother and son, was information about the R.E.A.D. program. Ms. Skurdy asked for an explanation of the initials. When told that they stood for Read, Enjoy, And Do, she replied that this would not be evident to the reader of the poster/flyer. She then asked what the objectives of the grant were, and upon hearing that one of them involved getting parents and their children to the library, she said that should be the focus of the poster/flyer. She recommended that the focal point of the poster's wording be "Bring Your Child to the Library." The administrative librarian and the director of Youth Services immediately agreed that this would make the poster more effective and sent the needed information to Chamerlik Design.

At the same meeting there was discussion of ways to publicize this new service. In receiving the library's experiences with the "BABY" program necessary to get information about the new program to the public. A date was set for a third meeting to discuss final plans.

Unfortunately, there was never a third meeting. After several meetings were postponed due to Ms. Skurdy's health, she explained that she would not be able to complete the project and recommended another firm for the job. Later the project director learned that Ms. Skurdy had lung cancer, and within a month the library received word that she had died. Although she was not able to see the project through to completion, her contribution - the very important "Bring Your Child to the Library" - had helped to make the R.E.A.D. project a success.

Within a few days of the last telephone conversation with Ms. Skurdy, the project director was contacted by Paula Robinson from J.B. Robinson and Associates and a date was set for the first meeting.

When Paula Robinson arrived for the first meeting, it was soon apparent that Stephanie Skurdy had made an excellent choice. It was decided that the kick-off program, titled "Bring Your Child to the Library", would be an "extravaganza"—one that would most certainly draw children and their parents into the library. It was a given that for this type of program the library would need to have a "celebrity" as part of the program. Ms. Robinson said she had several people in mind and would get in touch with them immediately. She also looked at the drawings for the posters and asked for some time to put together a campaign to get flyers out to the community.

At the next meeting, it was decided that instead of the usual flyer, it would be more effective if a "doorhanger" was designed to be distributed to the villages of Park Forest and Olympia Fields. Specifications were sent to Chamerlik Design which would be doing the actual artwork. The celebrity speaker was the anchor woman for Fox-TV Channel 32 News, Robin Robinson. The doorhanger would be designed to incorporate her photograph, the event title, "Bring Your Child to the Library" and all necessary information for the event. Entering into the spirit of the program, Robin Robinson brought her children with her and agreed to act as storyteller for the event. The date for the event was Saturday, Nov. 7, 1998.

A decision also was made to have a book character make an appearance at the library during the event. Capitalizing on current popularity, as well as the library's "Read With Arthur" program, Arthur the aardvark was asked to make an appearance. In keeping with the spirit of the grant, i.e., that it would promote and model family activities, a third component was added - an activity. Tied in with this activity was a fourth component, facepainting. The facepainting was done by an artist with whom the village had worked previously. Ms. Robinson approached local merchants who donated prized, and a fifth component, a raffle, became part of the event.

Press releases were written and distributed to the media. A total of 12,000 doorhangers were printed, with 11,000 distributed to the residents of Park Forest and Olympia Fields. The remaining 1,000 were distributed to local schools and daycare agencies. Some were distributed to Park Forest Village Hall, and a small number of them were displayed at the Park Forest Public Library.

The event succeeded beyond all expectations. More than 378 children and adults attended the "Bring Your Child to the Library" program. Parents and children enjoyed the storytelling by Robin Robinson, who also had her daughter read a story to the audience. This was especially valuable as a role modeling for the children present. The meeting with Arthur is something the children will talk about for a long time - to say that the younger ones were in awe of Arthur is an understatement. The activity - cookie decorating - and a sing-along also were well received, as was the facepainting. Parents, caregivers and other adults were extremely pleased with the event and the new R.E.A.D. program here at the library.

At the conclusion of the program, Arthur handed out "goody bags" to the children. Each bag contained a special R.E.A.D. magnet, with the distinctive "Bring Your Child to the Library" logo, printed materials to share with parents, a bookmark and a miniature candy bar.

A special section of the Youth Services Department has been designated for dispersal of the R.E.A.D. bags, with special signs to alert borrower to their location. As a special incentive to encourage children and adults to make use of this new and special collection, a promotion encourages each participant in the program to check out 10 different R.E.A.D. bags. Participants will have their name entered in a drawing for a special prize, which was donated to the library by a merchant in a nearby community who heard of the new program and was excited by it.

Materials for the R.E.A.D. bags were ordered, and once the artwork had been accepted, the order for the bright yellow and red R.E.A.D. bag was placed. The special library magnet also was ordered. This magnet would remind library users of the old library's hours of operation and be a reminder to parents and caregivers to "Bring Your Child to the Library."

Program presenters were engages to offer special family "theme" programs that will tie in with the R.E.A.D. bags and with the thrust of the whole program - reading activities for parents caregivers and their children.

Interactive computer programs have been purchased as part of the program. The "jukebox" aspect of the CD-Rom tower makes it easy for users to choose the program they wish to use without having to get help from library staff and then take time to manually load the program. Ease of access plays a large part in the public's willingness to use the new technology.

Program Accomplishments

The R.E.A.D. program has accomplished a number of intended goals as it has developed to date:

• The program has provided a service new to the patrons of the Suburban Library System, especially to the residents of Park Forest, Olympia Fields and the surrounding communities.

• R.E.A.D. bags will be available for circulation through the Illinois State Library. This will give access to this program to the entire state of Illinois, even the smallest libraries and communities. If the State Library offers the R.E.A.D. bags through inter-library loan, the program will reach even more libraries and library patrons.

• The program had provided a structured program that can be used by parent/caregivers who need models in introducing young children to the pleasures of reading.

• Use of the R.E.A.D. bags helps parents/caregivers get childern started on the road to a lifelong love of reading.

• Because the R.E.A.D. bag contains a book in addition to the audiocassette or videocassette, related toy

and activity sheet, the parent/caregiver will be reading to the child. Children who are read to respond to classroom instruction more readily than those who have not been read to, thus increasing the child's chance of success in school. This relates to the second part of the program "DO" (Read, Enjoy and Do).

• The program had eased the practice of reading to young children by providing a structured kit for the use of parents/caregivers.

• It had introduced or reinforced the habit of reading in conjunction with other activities, including family activities.

• News coverage had brought the concept of structured read/play/learning activities to the attention of the general public.

• Feedback from patrons and the general public had been positive and indicates that the coverage has stimulated thought and discussion about the values of early reading and language activities, as well as the value of reading and completing a related activity as part of an overall reading/learning experience.

• The program has brought people to the library and has encouraged patrons to talk with Youth Services staff about the program. Some of the comments include: "What a wonderful idea." "It is really great that the library now has a beginning reading program for toddlers." "We're so glad the library is taking a leadership role in bringing the joy and usefulness of reading to young children." The business community also had been enthusiastic in its support, as shown by the donations for the kick-off program.

• It had heightened the awareness of the library as presence in the community. Residents who might not otherwise have come into the library have been drawn in by the R.E.A.D. program. Once in the library, many ask about related programs. Some have gotten library cards and are now beginning to use the library on a somewhat regular basis.

• The message has reached a potential population of more than 200,000 through the media. This includes 25,000 residents of Park Forest and 4,500 residents of Olympia Fields. Information has also reached librarians in the 78 member libraries of the Suburban Library System.

• The program has led to questions from libraries in neighboring communities.

• The kick-off event, "Bring Your Child to the Library," brought community residents from varying ethnic and financial backgrounds for an enjoyable and fun-filled program.

• It has enabled the library to forge new partnerships in the community, which in turn will enrich both the library and the partnering organization.

• It has provided a framework for future partnerships with the community agencies.

• As a result of "Bring Your Child to the Library," 30 new library cards were issued. Many parents commented that they were not aware that even toddlers could get library cards. This fact will be more strongly publicized in the future in order to encourage more parents to get library cards for their very young children.

• "Bring Your Child to the Library" prompted an expression of pride in their library from community residents. One man made a special trip to the library from community residents. One man made a special trip to the library's Youth Services Department just to tell the director how proud he was of the library and what it was doing for the community.

• The availability of sufficient grant money to launch a meaningful and effective publicity campaign contributed greatly to the success of "Bring Your Child to the Library."

• The effectiveness of professional marketing techniques and strategies was demonstrated, giving library staff information for future events.

• The professionalism of the marketing tools, in particular the doorhanger, called forth expressions of pride and awareness from the community members and reinforced the importance of the library to the community.

• The use of the doorhangers provided a means to keep the library and its programs in the forefront of peoples' awareness. One woman came to the library the week after the "Bring Your Child to the Library" event to find out more about the R.E.A.D. program mentioned on the doorhanger.

• The local newspaper, the Park Forest Star, placed a full color photograph of Robin Robinson reading to the children at the Park Forest Public Library on the front page of their Thursday, Nov. 12, 1998 edition. The placement of the photograph and accompanying story, on the top, right-hand side of the newspaper, gave this

event the greatest possible visibility and brought the library and its programs to the attentions of the community residents.

• Library staff was given the opportunity to work with and learn from professionals in the field of program planning and preparation. It was a good experience for everyone concerned and enabled library staff members to pick up some pointers to use for the future large-scale programming.

• Library staff members became aware of new programming avenues. These new resources can be effectively used it the future as the library works to increase its programming capabilities.

• The community was once again exposed to the wealth of information and resources available at the library.

• In addition to "Bring Your Child to the Library." other programs are being made available would not be affordable without a grant. This will bring even more children and parents/caregivers into the library.

• In a community where 87 percent of respondents to a recent survey said that the library is one of the most important amenities in the Village of Park Forest, the library once again became a prominent focal point and point of pride for users.

Description of the Program's Strengths and Weaknesses

The greatest strength of the Read, Enjoy and Do (R.E.A.D.) program is that it is based on significant developmental concepts. It provides the stimulation and framework needed by young children to enter school prepared to read and learn. It also furthers the recommendations to the American Pediatrics Association with regard to reading to children at an early age.

This program is timely because it is designed to support the first educational goal of the nation, that by the year 2000 children will enter school ready to learn. It builds on the strengths of the "BABY" grant by taking the next step in the process of preparing children to read. In a recent article in the Daily Southtown an associate professor at St. Xavier University is quoted as saying that children entering kindergarten range from those who are already independent readers to those who do not even know the alphabet. When asked how parents can help, this same professor said, "Read to them. Read to them." The R.E.A.D. bags help to make this necessity a reality.

Although reading to children has long-term positive effects on the ability to succeed in school, further research has found that even more benefit is gained when reading is extended by conversation and related activities. The R.E.A.D. bags offer now only a book, but also an audio and/or videocassette, related toy and activity sheet.

A further aspect contributing to the timeliness of the R.E.A.D. grant (and the BABY grant before it) is the increasing concern over the decline in the literacy rate of children and adults. Educators have found that children without the experience of books and being read to before entering school are at a distinct disadvantage in their ability to learn and grasp the extent of classroom studies. This program targets children at their earliest ages to give them the opportunity to be ready to learn when they enter school.

The materials are well designed and elicit receptive responses. They are also materials that are easy to handle and promote interaction between child and parents/caregivers.

The R.E.A.D. bag has substance and balance. The kit appeals to many senses. The books were chosen for their quality and illustrations. The need for rhythm of language and simple movements are focused on with the audiocassette and/or videocassette and the related toy. Interaction is encouraged with all of these items. Support for the parent/caregiver is found in the activity sheet which guides the user and demonstrates activities based on reading. The magnet (given separately from the R.E.A.D. bag) is a handy way to keep the library in view. The information on library hours offers a reminder to come to the library. The bag is colorful, small enough for a small child to carry and is water proof.

In addition to the balance included in the kit, the supporting library materials have the same features. Care has been taken to include board books and other book that can be successfully used with the 1-to 3 -year-old age group. Books, audiocassettes and video-cassettes were selected to help parents get ideas for activities, decide on materials for their children, and use of stories, rhymes and play that are creative and fun.

The response from village officials, library and village trustees, the business community, the media and library users has been overwhelmingly positive. The program is welcomed and its full implementation is eagerly awaited.

Most notable weakness of Read, Enjoy and Do (R.E.A.D.) is the time crunch for the kick-off program. Another is the inability of companies to provide some of the books, audiocassettes, videocassettes and toys initially chosen by library staff and Family Enrichment Program leaders. This has necessitated re-selection, re-ordering and a time lag as the library waits for all the materials to be delivered. This affects the library staff's ability to process the materials and prepare the R.E.A.D. bags.

More staff time and personnel were involved than was anticipated. Support staff had to devote more time to choosing and ordering items to replace those no longer available. The Technical Services Department was taxed to accommodate the need for rush orders and follow-up tracking of orders. All in all, however, the weaknesses were due more to external circumstances than to flaws in the program itself.

The fact that the program was launched and well received gives evidence of the values of the program to the community. The setbacks can be smoothed out as the program progresses, ensuring that R.E.A.D. will develop as a strong asset to the community as well as to the Park Forest Public Library.

Analysis of Changed or Altered Grant Needs

There were seven instances in which grant needs, as expressed in the application were changed or altered by the activities.

• The change in the number of R.E.A.D. bags from the 25 originally proposed to 50 increased the availability of the bags. Increased availability resulted in increased interest, since there were more bags and a wider range of themes and activities from which to choose.

• The illness and death of Stephanie Skurdy resulted in the employment of a new public relations firm and a resulting time crunch as the new company worked to understand the R.E.A.D. program and formulate an action plan. This resulted in the use of the doorhangers and gave library staff members a lesson in successful marketing techniques.

• The input of the public relations firm in marketing both the kick-off event, "Bring Your Child to the Library," and the entire R.E.A.D. project is a testament to the importance of hiring marketing/public relations personnel earlier in the process. If possible, they should be consulted when a grant is being writing.

• Both the increase in the number of R.E.A.D. bags and the time crunch in getting the kick-off event planned required increased involvement on the part of library staff.

• The tremendous success of the kick-off even increased the demand for the R.E.A.D. bags and for other books and materials.

• The decision to use doorhangers necessitated another design project by Chamerlik Design. This put additional pressure on the firm and cost nearly as much as printing flyers, bookmarks, etc.

• The increased number of R.E.A.D. bags caused additional work for the Family Enrichment Program leaders.

How the Goals of the Illinois State Library Long Range Plan Were Met By This Grant

The Illinois State Library Long Range Plan addressed by the grant project was Goal 3 - Enrich the quality of life for citizens of Illinois by advocating the pleasures of reading, the ability to read, and the importance of reading. This goal was met very well by the Read, Enjoy and Do (R.E.A.D.) grant.

"Advocating the pleasures of reading," the first part of the goal, was met in many ways. Perhaps the most significant example was observed during the kick-off event, "Bring Your Child to the Library," with Fox-TV Channel 32 Anchor Woman Robin Robinson reading stories to the children. As she read the stories there was no doubt in anyone's mind that she found this a pleasurable activity. Her enthusiasm and skill transmitted this to the audience, who listened with rapt attention.

Ms. Robinson went even further: She explained that she reads to her children regularly, and encourages them to read aloud to each other. She then had her daughter read a story to the audience. What a tremendous role model for the children. How many children suddenly realized that reading was a fun activity? The fact that 30 children received library cards that day gives a clear indication that this program reached people.

"The ability to read" portion of the goal is met by the R.E.A.D. bags. The book in the bag presents the theme of R.E.A.D. and guides the child to the other elements:

the audiocassette and/or vidoecassette and the related toy. By using a planned theme activity, reading becomes more important to the child as he or she sees their parent/caregiver working with them and participating in the reading activity.

"The importance of reading" portion of the goal is met by the entire project. This was amply demonstrated by the storytelling portion of the kick-off event, and again, by the contents of the R.E.A.D. bags. It is reinforced by the special theme programs that are also a part of this project. The handouts to parents, the magnet, the reinforcement of teachers, librarians and parents/caregivers reinforces the importance of reading.

In summary, the Read, Enjoy and Do program is a tremendous benefit to the community and to the state of Illinois. It is well suited as a model program for other communities. The Park Forest Public Library hopes to build on this program with other grant projects that will be aimed at pre-school children, primary-age children, secondary-age children and, family, the most underserved, young adults.