Bookstart Research

The following research highlights will be of interest to local partners. Please note complete reports may be obtained from Booktrust. Visit http://www.booktrust.org.uk/.

Research proves that Bookstart makes a difference!

Bookstart children, aged 2-3 years old, were compared with a sample of non-Bookstart children.  The findings showed that:

• 68% of Bookstart children looked at books as one of their favourite activities (21% for non-bookstart),
• 75% of Bookstart parents said they bought books as presents for their children (10% for non-bookstart).

Researchers observed parents sharing a book with their children.  Again, a comparison of Bookstart families with non-Bookstart showed that:

• 83% of Bookstart parents read the whole text compared with only 34% of non-bookstart parents,
• 64% talked about the story, compared with only 24% of non-bookstart,
• 43% encouraged the child to join in compared with only 17% non-bookstart,
• 68% encouraged the child to make predictions, compared with 38% of non-bookstart.

Bookstart families share more books, these findings also illustrate that the quality of the interaction between parent and child is enhanced. (Bookstart Research Wade and Moore 2000.)

Bookstart children enjoy a wonderful start at school

Professor Barrie Wade and Dr Maggie Moore researched a group of Bookstart children just as they were starting primary school and compared them with a carefully selected group of non-bookstart children. Upon starting school, the Bookstart children were significantly ahead of their classmates in all reading and number assessments.

At age 7 the Bookstart Children were still ahead in learning

Further research followed some Bookstart children up to the age of seven when they took their first Standard Attainment Test (SAT's).

The study compared the results of the tests and teacher assignments of 41 Bookstart children to 41 children who had not received Bookstart. At the age of 7, the Bookstart group were still superior on each of the assessments. There was a highly significant difference for English and also a very highly significant difference for reading. The Bookstart children also did better in Maths and Science.

"The implication of these findings is that the Bookstart group, which had received free children's books in infancy, had not only been better prepared for starting school, but have maintained their superiority throughout their first years of primary education." (Wade and Moore 2000.)

"Our study has shown that the home environment can really make a difference…more important than the parents educational qualifications, it is what the parents do with the child... Education matters, qualifications matter, but if they read to the child, play rhyming games, sing songs, talk about letters and sounds, and take the child to the library, these behaviours at home are more important and can compensate for a low educational level." *(Professor Kathy Sylva speaking to the select committee on Education and Employment regarding the effective provision of Pre-school Education (EPPE) and the study on the over-riding importance of the home environment.)