Better Beginnings Family Literacy Program.
Western Australia.
December 26th 2023
State Library of Western Australia
25 Francis St, Perth, WA, 6000
An initiative of the State Library of Western Australia, Better Beginnings is a state-wide family literacy program that supports and involves parents in their child’s early literacy and language learning. The program encourages parents to share books, songs and rhymes every day from birth, to support them in building the early literacy skills their child needs to become a good reader and be ready to succeed to their fullest potential at school and throughout their lives.
Rebecca Ong
Manager Participation and Learning
http://www.better-beginnings.com.au/
State Government
100
Better Beginnings Family Literacy Program.
Western Australia.
2004
An initiative of the State Library of Western Australia, Better Beginnings is a state-wide family literacy program that supports and involves parents in their child’s early literacy and language learning. The program encourages parents to share books, songs and rhymes every day from birth, to support them in building the early literacy skills their child needs to become a good reader and be ready to succeed to their fullest potential at school and throughout their lives.
State Government, Local Governments and Corporate partnership.
Statewide (delivered in all Western Australian local governments).
Not for profit.
None.
The Better Beginnings program model is consistent across Western Australia, however there is some flexibility depending on local capacity and the relationship formed between public libraries, local child health nurses and schools. This flexibility ensures that the program can be delivered in a way that best meets the needs of the community, and makes best use of the available services and their capacity. For example, in all local governments, child health nurses deliver reading packs to families at a child’s 8 week infant health check. Some public library staff may also attend new parent sessions led by child health nurses, where available, to talk about early literacy and promote the local public library.
Birth reading pack: Board book – Baby Ways. Early literacy information booklet for parents. Nursery rhyme lyric booklet and audio CD. Nursery rhyme wall frieze. Two year old reading pack: Picture book. Nursery rhyme fridge magnet. Sing With Me booklet including nursery rhyme lyrics, audio CD, book recommendations for two year olds, and early literacy messages and information for parents. Four year old reading pack: Picture book. Literacy activity relating to the picture book. Read With Me booklet for parents including home literacy activity ideas, book recommendations for four year olds, and early literacy messages and information for parents.
Yes.
Library, Health clinic, School.
Healthcare workers. Librarians. Kindergarten teachers (at age 4, prior to a child’s first year of full-time school).
The State Library does not use volunteers in the coordination of Better Beginnings. Public libraries may use volunteers to provide some support their delivery of the program, however, this decision is made at a local level.
Universal within Western Australia.
Each year Better Beginnings reaches approximately 96% of families with a baby, and 99% of families with child aged four years. Current annual reach is: 30,000 families with a baby, 38,000 families with a 4 year old child, 20,000 families with a two year old child.
Birth – 6 months, 2 – 4 years, Reading packs are specifically gifted at birth, two and four year old age milestones.
A reading pack is available for families where either the parent or child has a vision impairment. The pack contains a braille edition of the Baby Ways board book, an accompanying audio CD, and inclusive early literacy guidance for parents, produced in collaboration with VisAbility, a disability service in Western Australia. Additionally, families can access a borrowable Baby Ways Touch and Feel Kit from public libraries, which contains additional books and tactile resources suitable for families experiencing sensory challenges.
All resources are currently produced in English. Messages relating to the importance of talking, reading and singing in a family’s home language, and promotion of library collections and resources in languages other than English, are delivered by health and library practitioners through their one to one engagement with each family. In the future, opportunities to produce resources in Western Australian Aboriginal languages will be explored.
Better Beginnings is independently evaluated through a longitudinal study by Edith Cowan University. The findings demonstrate the positive impact of the program on influencing the behaviours and attitudes of parents in reading and singing with their children from birth. The evaluation reports have been published and are available to view on the Better Beginnings website: www.better-beginnings.com.au/research Additionally, in 2016 the State Library of Western Australia commissioned a Social Return on Investment analysis to measure the social value created by Better Beginnings. The report identified that for the equivalent of every $1.00 AUD invested in Better Beginnings, $5.64 AUD is returned to the Western Australian community in social value.
