Bookstart research in Birmingham

Bookstart began as a pilot project in Birmingham in 1992. The pilot scheme has been thoroughly researched since that time and this research has provided a wealth of data and evidence that the programme has had a significant impact on these first families to receive Bookstart.
 
Barrie Wade (University of Birmingham) and Maggie Moore (Newman College) carried out this research and their findings are reported in a number of reports, articles and papers.

The following reports are available:

Bookstart: Booktrust Report Number 2 (Bookstart in Birmingham)
©1993 Dr Maggie Moore and Dr Barrie Wade
Published by Booktrust

The report gives a full description of the programme, its aims and evaluation. The evaluation is in three parts: the views of participating librarians and health professionals, views of a sample of parents, including detailed information from four interviews with parents, and an analysis of a questionnaire completed by parents/carers regarding changes in behaviour as a result of receiving the Bookstart pack.
Download - Bookstart: Booktrust Report Number 2 (pdf 3.5Mb)

A Gift for Life, Bookstart: The First Five Years
©1998 Dr Maggie Moore and Dr Barrie Wade
ISBN: 0 85353 470 5
Published by Booktrust

This second report on Bookstart in Birmingham is also written by Moore and Wade, who compared a random sample of original Bookstart families with a comparison group. The results clearly demonstrated that attitudes and book-sharing behaviour in families with 2- to 3-year-old children were much more positive among those who had received the Bookstart pack two years earlier.
Download - A Gift for Life, Bookstart: The First Five Years (pdf 6.7Mb)
 

A Sure Start with Books By Barrie Wade and Maggie Moore
Published in Early Years Volume 20 Number 2 Spring 2000 pp.39-46

The final stage of the Birmingham Bookstart longitudinal study compares the Key Stage 1 national test performance of a sample of 43 students who had received Bookstart with a comparison group who had not.
Download - A Sure Start with Books (pdf 2.9Mb)

Bookstart: A Qualitative Evaluation By Barrie Wade and Maggie Moore
(to be published in Educational Review, February 2003, Edition 55/1)

This article, published in Februrary 2003, contextualises the quantitative evaluation that has taken place regarding Bookstart and presents qualitative information representing views of professionals working on Bookstart. The implication is that both the quantitative and qualitative evaluation points to the effectiveness of the programme and its ability to facilitate early literacy learning.
Download - Bookstart: A Qualitative Evaluation (pdf 7Mb)

For further information please email Roland.Marden@booktrust.org.uk