Books For Babies
Mary Peterson and Shannon Palmer

Beginnings of Books for Babies

When 1990 was declared International Literacy Year by the United Nations (UNESCO), it served as a summons to action, recognizing that widespread illiteracy severely hampers the economic and social development of individuals and nations. In Canada some alarming statistics were quoted: a 25% functional illiteracy rate, a 30% high school dropout rate, and one in five children living below the poverty level. In response to this concern, the Canadian Home and School Parent Teacher Federation received funding for a national project called Literacy in the Information Age. The Books for Babies family literacy project originated as a result of a challenge, from the coordinators of the national association, to encourage provincial and local home and school organizations to formulate community-based literacy initiatives. The Cardston and District Home and School Association accepted the challenge to determine what type of literacy project might best benefit our community.

Many different organizations and groups within the community were contacted relative to their literacy concerns: schools, health and government officials, nonprofit organizations, and business leaders. It was the general consensus that many children entering the school system could be better prepared for their school experience if exposed to more language-based activities in the home from birth. Often children entering grade one lacked the level of listening and speaking skills that contributed to success in the early grades. It was felt that teachers who try to help children catch up often do not succeed. On the other hand, research was cited which suggested that young children who have been read to from an early age and who have parents who model literate behaviour have a better chance of academic success upon reaching school age.

It was determined that the best approach would be preventative, beginning at birth, in order to raise awareness of the importance of literacy with parents of newborns. While the concept of Books for Babies was not original to us, we hoped to offer parents an incentive to start reading with their children from day one. Adapting some of the basic ideas to our own community needs, the Cardston Books for Babies family literacy project began operation at the Cardston Municipal Hospital on January 1st, 1992.

Community Profile

The Town of Cardston is a farming community in Southern Alberta with a townsite population of approximately 3500 people. Several small bedroom communities of three to five hundred people are served by the project, as they use the Cardston municipal hospital for their maternity needs. Significant for the project is the fact that the community of Cardston borders on the southern edge of the Blood Indian Reserve As a result, many native parents and children are involved in the project. There are also several Hutterite colonies in the Cardston area which make use of the maternity ward at the Cardston Hospital. Approximately two hundred babies are born each year at the Cardston Municipal Hospital.