The National
Literacy Trust Hub in Bradford has teamed up with Bradford Teaching Hospitals
NHS Foundation Trust, neonatal charity, Bliss and Boots Opticians in Bradford
to hand out the packs at Bradford Royal Infirmary to help increase literacy
levels in the area.
The initiative aims
to highlight the importance of communicating with babies, as studies show that
sharing stories and rhymes with babies from an early age helps families bond.
Hearing their parents or siblings telling stories or singing supports a
baby’s wellbeing, lets them get to know their voice and stimulates their
brain development.
A team of parent
volunteers from Bliss assembled the literacy packs with staff volunteers from
Boots Opticians in Bradford. Each pack contains a copy of ‘Guess How Much I
Love You’ by Sam McBratney donated by publisher Walker Books, plus a pen and
notepad for families to keep a diary of their baby’s development during their
stay on the ward. Also included are tips for parents and carers on how to
support their child’s literacy development and information on library
membership.
The packs will be
given out by the Bliss volunteers to parents of babies who are admitted to
the neonatal ward. The volunteers will talk to parents about the importance
of sharing stories and rhymes with babies and continuing to read together as
a family after leaving hospital.
Research by the World
Health Organisation found that better literacy leads to healthier children as
well as helping them to do better at school. [1] The collaboration with the
National Literacy Trust Hub in Bradford aims to improve children’s health and
literacy outcomes.
The literacy packs
are being launched in Bradford following the success of a similar initiative
run by the National Literacy Trust Hub in Middlesbrough. The impact of this work at James Cook
University Hospital in Middlesbrough has been revealed through focus groups
where parents who received literacy packs said they were previously unaware
of the importance of reading to their babies. However, after receiving the
literacy packs they have discovered how sharing books is an enjoyable way of
connecting with their child and reading has become part of their daily
routine at home.
This vital work was
showcased in a report published by the National Literacy Trust called
“National Literacy Trust Hubs: Understanding the role of literacy in public
health."
Imran Hafeez,
manager of the National Literary Trust Hub in Bradford said:
“A baby’s stay in a
neonatal ward is a very anxious time for families and the simple pleasures of
reading and singing rhymes to them can bring some comfort during the long
hours spent beside their baby’s incubator. These literacy packs are
establishing reading as a fun, shared activity which will continue to help
develop a baby’s listening, memory and vocabulary.
We are delighted to
be working with Bradford Royal Infirmary on this pioneering initiative and
the fantastic volunteers at Bliss and Boots Opticians in Bradford who are
providing essential support. The 500 copies of “Guess How Much I Love You”,
kindly given to us by Walker Books, are perfect for helping families bond
with their newborns.
The literacy packs
are a great example of how the National Literacy Trust Hub in Bradford works
with local public services, businesses and volunteers to increase literacy
across the area.”
Chris Day,
Consultant Neonatologist at Bradford Royal Infirmary, said:
“The fundamental
purpose of this initiative is to humanise the newborn baby unit and empower
parents so they feel able to spend quality time with their babies.
Encouraging
families to read and share stories from the very beginning contributes to a
range of immediate and long-term benefits for both a child’s emotional
wellbeing and ability to learn. These literacy packs provide a welcome
diversion for families who can gain a feeling of closeness with their babies
during this difficult time.”
Sally Allatt,
Practice Manager at Boots Opticians, Bradford said:
"I was once a parent
of a premature baby when I spent many months in a neonatal unit. To have been given a literacy pack
with advice and information of the importance of reading to your baby, would
have been fantastic. Therefore as soon as I knew what work had been done in
Middlesbrough, I just needed to be link bringing together the unit with our
local National Literacy Trust Hub in Bradford. Having the opportunity to
support the unit to help parents in my home city was a fantastic
opportunity."
Anita Parkin,
Director for Public Health at Bradford Council said:
“This
is a fantastic piece of work coming from the National Literacy Trust Hub in
Bradford. I hope that it will help shape positive attitudes and behaviour
towards literacy at the beginning of a child’s life and also raise the profile
of literacy within our services and across the district.”