Books From Birth Spring2012

7/31/2019 Books From Birth Spring2012

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Books from BirthClosing Reading Gap

er the past year, Shelby County Books from Birth (Books

m Birth) partnered with The Urban Child Institute andemphis City Schools to evaluate the effectiveness of theoks from Birth program. The evaluation is complete andresults are impressive!

ildren who participate in the Books from Birth programnet from these meaningful advantages when comparedh children who do not participate in the program:

reading readiness scores 10% higher whenthey begin kindergarten

better prepared for kindergarten

are read to more and have more literacysupport at home

is research validates that the Books from Birth program hasmeasurable and signicantly positive effect on language read-

ss scores for children in Shelby County, preparing themsuccess in the classroom and beyond.

When a book arrives in the mail, a life changes.

Books from Birth is a real difference maker, and totallyvalidates the money that is being invested on thisprogram from the local, state and private sector.

Tennessee Governor Bill Haslam

Te Book Report


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Executive DirectorNoraCapwell

Weve gone from being that program that was nsupposed to have worked to that program that h

become the largest, in spite of all the odds.

Memphis Mayor A C Wha

Its grandparents and parents sitting down with their babiesour future, with the next generation and focusing on whaimportant. When we look at the art of reading, its so the foundation of everything that we do.

Shelby County Mayor Mark Lu

xecutive Director

Shelby County Mayor Mark Luttrell, Books from Birth Execu

Director Nora Capwell, and Memphis Mayor A C Wharto

What the best and wisest parent wants for

his own child must be what the community

wants for all its children.

John Dewey

parents, we all want the best for our children. We wantem to get the best education and to receive the greatest

portunities. It doesnt matter who you are or where you

e, we all want the same thing for our children.

elby County Books from Birth wants the best for the children

Shelby County. We want all children to have strong family

nds and arrive at kindergarten prepared to learn, prepared

succeed. That is why we provide books to all children so

ey all can have the same opportunity to succeed.

ooks from Birth is currently helping over 31,000 childrensucceed by providing monthly age-appropriate books

rectly to their home. These children will have the

portunity to experience the benets of stronger reading

bits and higher reading readiness scores when they arrive

kindergarten.

he recent research ndings from The Urban Child

stitute are important not only to the Books from Birth

ogram but to our community. It validates what we have

own all along; the more books in a childs home, the

tter. This is a considerable benet to our children incity like Memphis where only 42% of kindergarteners

ter school prepared to learn.

ooks from Birth is committed to the children in our

mmunity. We will continue to provide monthly books to

children under the age of ve in Shelby County. Imagine

every child in our community had the opportunity to

ve books in their home and could experience the benets

d long-term results of participating in the Books from

rth program?

a community, it is not enough to just want what is best for

child, it is important to want what is best for allchildren.

hank you for your ongoing support!

The statistics are shocking.

Only 42% of Memphis City School children ente

kindergarten prepared to read. Imagine the bene

to our community if all children were enrolle

in the Books from Birth program and could ent

kindergarten prepared to learn?

Nora Capwell


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Learning starts at home and the Books from Birth books have

denitely been a part of my childs learning success.

Nicole P.

Haiydns Dad says: Its amazing to us at just 27 months old,she can nearly recite her favorite books knowing she cant

read a word of it.

All smiles after receiving a sticker for

signing up for Books from Birth.

Families signed up for Books from Birth at the Memphis

School Pre-K Early Childhood Parent Learning Academ

If you cant read, the doors close, early. And if they close early,

your body grows up and you look like a grown person but the

doors around you are closed. So it is so important that we

learn how to read. Because reading leads to liberation.Sharonda W.

Daniels Mom says:Because of Books from

we have an extensive lib

with a wide range of aut

We also have a variety

topics that we might not

chosen on our own. It has

broadened our interest

Donovan and Alexis Grandmother says: They get so exc

when they receive their books. They ask to open them r

away. Although they are just learning to read they tell the s

so well just by looking at the pictures.

Stories From Our Families


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Books from Birth Partnerswith Local Area Pediatriciansutreach continues to be the cornerstone of enrolling children

the Books from Birth program. To help ensure that a baby

l receive the entire 60-book library available through the

oks from Birth program, it is important to reach families as

on as possible after their childs birth. Since all newborns are

t automatically enrolled in Books from Birth at their delivering

spital, we have teamed with local pediatricians to create the

rescription to Read initiative to reach families who have not

eviously enrolled their baby in the program.

octors, nurses and ofce staff at participating pediatric practices

l provide Prescription to Read applications to families with

tructions to Receive a book for free every month for your

ld from birth until age ve! Read together 20 minutes daily!

dditionally, the doctor or staff will share the benets of our

ogram, the importance of early literacy and will encouragerents to enroll their child in Books from Birth. To ensure every

bys enrollment, applications are completed during the babys

diatric appointment and Books from Birth volunteers collect

e applications from the doctors ofces.

the rst two months of the pilot program, Memphis Pediatrics

d The Raleigh Group have enrolled over 1,000 children!

he Books from Birth outreach efforts have established incredible

rtnerships with many organizations throughout Shelby County

ho actively enroll children in our program. These agencies

lude:

Volunteer State Health Plan

United Healthcare

Baptist Memorial Hospital

Methodist Hospital

St. Francis Hospital

Regional Medical Center at Memphis

LeBonheur Hospital

Memphis City and Shelby County SchoolsShelby County Head Start

Porter Leath

ith support from The United Way and The Junior League of

emphis, the Prescription to Read program will launch across

elby County in June 2012.

Volunteer Spotlight

For over two years, Sandra Abel has come to the Books f

Birth ofce twice a week and does just about anything. Sancalls on families whose books are returned, goes to the

ofce, makes copies, attends community events, keeps

books organized, registers new families in the program

brings snacks for everyone in the ofce.

Sandra is one of a kind and will do anything she ca

help. Sandra claims that I just get into things and I c

let up. Books from Birth loves having Sandra aroun

get into things and Sandra loves being around to m

sure more books get to more children.

Grace Burgess and Amber Dalehite present a check for $1,

for their community service project benetting Books fr

Birth for Distributive Education Clubs of America.

Sandra Abel is named Chief Volunteer at Books From Bir

Bartlett High School Seniors headed to a national championship

for a community service project for Books from Birth!


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As a group, children who received books from th

Books from Birth program reached school in strong

shape. In fact, on an 86-point scale of reading

readiness, these kids are eight points higher than

children who were not in the program. This differen

remains even after we adjust for family income an

pre-school experience.

Doug Imig, Ph.D.,

Resident Fellow at The Urban Child Institute

You Can Help!

A donation of $12 can provide a

year of books for one child, or $60

provides books for ve years. With

your support, Books from Birth can

help more children be ready to learn

and ready to succeed.

booksfrombirth.org

Governor and Mrs. Haslam enthusiasticaendorse Books from Birth and the roleplays in preparing our youngest citizens f

school readiness.

This research shows that getting books into the

hands of our youngest Tennesseans makes a

difference. Programs like Books from Birth and

The Imagination Library help to give our children

the foundation they need to excel in school and

ultimately compete for high quality jobs.

Tennessee Governor Bill Haslam

Governor Bill Haslam and First Lady Crissy Haslam at the

Benjamin Hooks Library reading to kindergarteners

from Lucie Campbell Elementary School.


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Board of DirectorsMatt Robbins Chair

Kim MacQueen Vice-Chair

Ed Stanton Past Chair

Diane Chambliss Secretary

Mack McCaul Treasurer

Staff

Nora Capwell Executive Director

Michelle Weinberg Marketing &

Communications Director

Books from Birth is changing lives by promoting kindergarten readiness andstrengthening family bonds in Shelby County. We greatly appreciate your support!

booksfrombirth.org901-820-4501

Chloee Poag

Betsy Saslawsky

Mary Scheuner

Peter Schutt

Carol Seamons

Teri Shanahan

Bianca Sweeten

Donald Wagner

Hallie Ward

Carmen Blatteis

Kemp Conrad

Sally Walker Davies

David HarrisJohn Jackson

Jenny Mallery Vergos

Katie Midgley

Demetri Patikas

Provide a child a book a month for $12 a year. $60 for 5 Years.

5865 Ridgeway Center Parkway, Suite 300

Memphis, TN 38120

An afliate o Dolly PartonsImagination Library

Books From Birth Spring2012

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Transcript of Books From Birth Spring2012