Book Babies
for families with children ages birth – 5 years
Book Babies at Imprints Cares combines literacy coaching and the delivery of age-appropriate books during home visits to help develop early language and literacy skills in young children. Participating Book Babies will each have a home library of 100+ books by the time they enter kindergarten. This program is modeled after Book Harvest in Durham, NC, and was launched by Imprints Cares in 2018.
Book Babies model + benefits
Research shows that exposure to early language and literacy experiences helps advance language development in young children while strengthening social and emotional learning and increasing the likelihood of success in school. To promote this exposure and encourage parent involvement in early literacy, the Book Babies program provides 20 new and age-appropriate books per year to enrolled children. Between home visits, Imprints Cares staff offer support to parents through literacy-based text message tips, visits to the local library, and group storytimes.
The Book Babies model is effective at reaching families where they are, providing an example for parents and coaching them in their own home environments. The program also brings parents together for shared early literacy-promoting experiences.
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During home visits, Imprints Cares staff:
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Deliver new, age-appropriate books to the Book Baby
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Give gently used books to parents and siblings in the family
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Model interactive reading practices with children
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Provide materials on language and literacy development
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Support parents with setting up a literacy-rich home environment