UNC-TV:ORPGM: Literacy

First Book Program at UNC-TV Increases Reading Among Children of Lower Income Families

The First Book program delivered by UNC-TV is putting smiles on hundreds of young faces in North Carolina, according to representatives from agencies around the state.

Since 1997, UNC-TV has joined hundreds of other public television stations in a PBS partnership with First Book, a national, non-profit organization in Washington, D.C. dedicated to providing new books to children and families who have no access to books and so are at-risk of developing poor literacy skills. Over 20 agencies from across the state participate as "First Book partners" with UNC-TV.

Between February 2001 and May 2002, UNC-TV's Ready To Learn program distributed 9,948 books to children who would not have accessed those books any other way. Representatives of UNC-TV's First Book partners say that both children and parents return each month enthusiastically to receive more books. While the books are distributed to the same children each month, the children often pass them to other family members, ultimately reaching more than 9,000 children in North Carolina.

"These books spread like wildfire," says Sheila Regan of Moore County Cooperative Extension. "They pass through the immediate family and then go to the extended family. One grandmother said she was so thrilled that she could read to her grandchild."

PBS, public television's program distribution service, began administering First Book through its Ready To Learn service in 1994. Each month, PBS allots 300 books to local PBS stations that are also First Book partners, and they in turn disperse them to their partners. At least 85% of the books must be delivered to children of low-income families. Besides the allotment of books, UNC-TV purchases additional books through donations and grants. UNC-TV has over 20 agency partners for the First Book program, including Wake County Human Services, the North Carolina Cooperative Extension Service, Stokes County Family Support Network, Rockingham Community College, Corazon, Inc. and several others across the state.

In addition to distributing the books,UNC-TV provides a training service on how to present the books to children. Not only do staff from UNC-TV's Ready To Learn program travel across the state to train teachers and parents on activities that complement the books, but they also train staff from their agency partners. These participants train the parents in their counties on how they can make the books both fun and educational for their children. Included in the training are tips on activities, PBS program Web sites that include learning activities for children and subject matter that corresponds to sample books from previous First Book months. Pamela Hines, UNC-TV's Ready To Learn coordinator, has suggested subjects such as health and emotional issues to discuss with parents while presenting the new books.

One agency representative said that the First Book program not only increased access to books for children of low-income families, but it also introduced print concepts to children, increased parents' awareness of reading to their children, improved parent-child interaction and increases children's love for reading.






				First Book Program at UNC-TV Increases Reading Among Children of Lower Income Families The First Book program delivered by UNC-TV is putting smiles on hundreds of young faces in North Carolina, according to representatives from agencies around the state. Since 1997, UNC-TV has joined hundreds of other public television stations in a PBS partnership with First Book, a national, non-profit organization in Washington, D.C. dedicated to providing new books to children and families who have no access to books and so are at-risk of developing poor literacy skills. Over 20 agencies from across the state participate as "First Book partners" with UNC-TV. Between February 2001 and May 2002, UNC-TV's Ready To Learn program distributed 9,948 books to children who would not have accessed those books any other way. Representatives of UNC-TV's First Book partners say that both children and parents return each month enthusiastically to receive more books. While the books are distributed to the same children each month, the children often pass them to other family members, ultimately reaching more than 9,000 children in North Carolina. "These books spread like wildfire," says Sheila Regan of Moore County Cooperative Extension. "They pass through the immediate family and then go to the extended family. One grandmother said she was so thrilled that she could read to her grandchild." PBS, public television's program distribution service, began administering First Book through its Ready To Learn service in 1994. Each month, PBS allots 300 books to local PBS stations that are also First Book partners, and they in turn disperse them to their partners. At least 85% of the books must be delivered to children of low-income families. Besides the allotment of books, UNC-TV purchases additional books through donations and grants. UNC-TV has over 20 agency partners for the First Book program, including Wake County Human Services, the North Carolina Cooperative Extension Service, Stokes County Family Support Network, Rockingham Community College, Corazon, Inc. and several others across the state. In addition to distributing the books,UNC-TV provides a training service on how to present the books to children. Not only do staff from UNC-TV's Ready To Learn program travel across the state to train teachers and parents on activities that complement the books, but they also train staff from their agency partners. These participants train the parents in their counties on how they can make the books both fun and educational for their children. Included in the training are tips on activities, PBS program Web sites that include learning activities for children and subject matter that corresponds to sample books from previous First Book months. Pamela Hines, UNC-TV's Ready To Learn coordinator, has suggested subjects such as health and emotional issues to discuss with parents while presenting the new books. One agency representative said that the First Book program not only increased access to books for children of low-income families, but it also introduced print concepts to children, increased parents' awareness of reading to their children, improved parent-child interaction and increases children's love for reading. MORE... General - Initiative for Children - Resources - First Book
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