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A Framework for Early Literacy Work with Parents:

Raising Early Achievement in Literacy

© Annie Jones and the University of Sheffield

Using Books at Home:

A ‘Read and Return’ Project

Manor Community Childcare Centre, Sheffield

Introduction

As a Children’s Centre teacher, I was

interested in the work being carried out at

the School of Education, University of

Sheffield, with families using the ORIM

framework to focus on aspects of early

literacy development with parents.

My main focus for work with families on

this project was visiting families at home

and doing activities with them related to

the ORIM framework.

My project took place over quite a short

period of time so in many ways the

process of home visiting has only just

begun. However, I am excited by the

potential of home visiting to really improve

outcomes for children in the longer term.

Read and Return

With home visiting a long-term aim, I

wanted to do something immediately

which was likely to have some instant and

visible impact in the nursery.

I was keen to encourage interest in, and

more use of, books by families attending

the Children’s Centre. We wanted families

to borrow books suitable for all ages, from

babies to adults.

We have shelves of books that are only

occasionally used in the nursery, so we

set up a “Read and Return” scheme near

the nursery entrance and encouraged

parents to choose books with their

children. Some parents were reluctant at

first because they feared the books would

get torn and spoilt but we were able to

reassure them that it is better they are

being used rather than just sitting on a

shelf. Also, the more the children enjoy the

books with their families, the better they

will learn to look after them.

Impact

At first the families needed quite a lot of

encouragement but more and more

families are borrowing books now and

some of the children get excited about

choosing their book before going home. Of

course, some books seem to have

disappeared for rather a long time but

even if a few never return it is better that

they are being read, rather than gathering

dust!

Annie Jones

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