Child Care Providers "Fly Blind" When Buying Books
Staff -- School Library Journal, 8/1/2000
C
hildren in child care facilities and early childhood classrooms nationwide aren't being exposed to the kinds of high-quality books that would help prepare them for school. Part of the reason, says a recent study by Dr. Susan Neuman of Temple University, is that parents and staff at child care facilities and preschools aren't trained to choose good books that teach developmentally appropriate skills.|
"There are no guidelines for what constitutes a quality book... for very young children." |
The study, "Access for All: Closing the Book Gap for Children in Early Childhood," found that "parents and teachers lack adequate guidance about how to choose quality books for their children," says Neuman. "There are no guidelines for what constitutes a quality book that builds developmentally appropriate learning skills for very young children. As a result, parents and teachers have no way of assessing whether books and other learning materials will make a positive difference."
Librarians aren't tapped for title recommendations either, according to the study, which asked directors of 300 child care facilities nationwide to name whom they turned to for guidance on book selections. Asked why librarians didn't make the list, Neuman postulates that "[librarians have] been known more as lovers of books, rather than as lovers of kids. But we know they're both." The solution, she suggests, is for librarians to do more outreach to child-care providers.
Neuman's study recommends that organizations such as the American Library Association and the International Reading Association work together to create guidelines for selecting quality books. The full study, funded by the Carnegie Corporation of New York, the Heinz Endowments, and the Institute for Civil Society, will be released this fall.--Renée Olson
