Search Results for: research

by Emily Ball Cicchini, Executive Director Reading isn't simple. I am noticing more discussion lately in education circles about reading and complexity. By complexity, we mean both the quality of the text that is being read, and what is going on inside the minds and hearts of the people who are reading. Reading is complex. Shorter is Not Clearer We have a tendency to shy away from things that are complex and want to make them more simple. This seems ... Read More

By: Nicky and Sam Ellis - Guest Bloggers of Horse Foals Man and horse have shared a strong bond for thousands of years. Horses are very friendly and one of the gentlest animals. Despite their size and height, most horses have an inherently kind temperament. Many specialists from the equestrian discipline and horse owners claim to have found a best friend and a lifetime companion in their horse. In this digital age, gaining access to technological gadgets has become far too easy ... Read More

“The heart of a volunteer is not measured in size, but by the depth of the commitment to make a difference in the lives of others.” – Deann Hollis Meet Kara Hooper, who began her volunteer work with BookSpring in July 2018. Kara is an educator currently on sabbatical and spending a year in Austin. Kara chose to volunteer with BookSpring after researching nonprofit literacy organizations in the city. “BookSpring promotes literacy in a concrete way by putting books in ... Read More

BookSpring’s Central Texas Reading Survey offers intriguing insights into the state of reading in Central Texas, and the implications for early literacy efforts in our community. We launched the assessment to provide you with real-time statistics that measure reading habits among parents and caregivers with children under the age of 12. Low Book Ownership Across Many Incomes Research shows a minimum of 20 books in the home could mean three more years of education for a child over a child with no books.   ... Read More

by Emily Ball Cicchini, Executive Director September, 2018: We here are BookSpring have announced a big audacious goal: to get 20 high quality children's books in every Central Texas homes. This vision is being driven by social science research that shows a statistically significant correlation between the size of home libraries and children’s future academic success. The mere presence of books at home creates a culture of learning that translates to doing better in school. Moreover, our 2018 Reading Survey revealed ... Read More

BookSpring Summer Success effectively addresses the widespread drop in reading skills that occurs in economically disadvantaged elementary students over the summer. During COVID, we have been able to pivot the program so that the remarkable impact of this program can continue empowering young readers at home with a modified, non-group distribution model in partnership with Literacy First. Research has shown that over 80% of students from economically disadvantaged communities lose reading skills over the summer. Having access to books makes a significant difference. Our ... Read More

This is a suggested pre-meeting reading for August 15, 2018, noon, at the Austin Public Library Central location.  Free, but please RSVP.  To learn more or register, visit here:  BookSpring Lunch & Learn Overview of Volunteerism in America Over 63 million people in the United States volunteer each year, says the advocacy group the Independent Sector – 800 of them through BookSpring!  Volunteers help out neighbors in times of need, serve their communities to promote a better quality of life ... Read More

by Christy Anderson The Number of Books at Home Impact a Child’s Educational Success It has long been asserted that parents’ education is the primary factor in predicting the future education level of a child. But in a long-term, worldwide study published in the journal Research in Social Stratification and Mobility, neither parents’ education nor their socio-economic status could more profoundly predict the educational success of a child than did the actual number of books in their house. Parents’ education, ... Read More

BookSpring recommends that families explore reading together at home online. Digital children's books can be a terrific online addition to a print library, if the e-books are simple (without lots of pop-up distractions) and if they are used to read together as a family. Our friends at Unite for Literacy have developed a fun and free library of topical digital books best for children ages 3-8 that will work on any internet device connected to the web through a browser, ... Read More

BookSpring draws from a wide body of research to keep our programs aligned with best practices, leading theories, and new discoveries in reading, education, psychology, sociology, and neuroscience. We aim to align all our programs and evaluations with this basic model, our Theory of Change: We use measurement scales developed by social science and education researchers to create self-reported surveys for children and caregivers to measure the degree of impact of our desired outcomes. We also leverage skill and achievement ... Read More