Book Harvest is piloting the Books from Birth program in partnership with select pediatric practices and health systems to send newborns home with a starter home library of 10 brand new board books. Healthcare providers and clinic staff present this home library packaged in a specially designed Books from Birth box that also includes an adorable "I am a Book Baby" onesie and additional resources that help families foster early language and reading routines from a baby's first days. Books from Birth lays the foundation for optimal brain development in the first five years -- the precondition for a healthy childhood, school readiness, and a lifetime of flourishing.
Why Books from Birth Matters
- Literacy promotion and support from a family's medical team increase active engagement in literacy activities at home including reading aloud several times every week, enjoying reading, and reporting that reading together is a favorite shared family activity.
- Books in the home are the single biggest predictor of a child’s reading proficiency and long term success in school.
- The American Academy of Pediatrics asserts that literacy begins at birth in the home, with parents.
Joining the Books from Birth Network
Healthcare practices who are eligible to join Book Harvest's Books from Birth network commit to:
- participating in the pilot program for a minimum of 12 months;
- providing all families with newborns in the practice with a Books from Birth box containing 10 brand new curated books and early literacy resources;
- coordinating the attendance of all clinic staff at two "Lunch & Learn" sessions with Book Harvest staff;
- assigning a clinical liaison at the practice who conducts monthly check-ins with Book Harvest's Books from Birth Specialist;
- and providing monthly report of data.
Interested in learning more about Books from Birth? Contact Meytal Barak at meytal@bookharvest.org.