Bookstart and the Healthy Child Programme: part one

An introduction to Bookstart and the Healthy Child Programme (HCP) and how Bookstart can be incorporated into health reviews at 28 weeks pregnant through to a child's six-month milestone.

Bookstart and the HCP: an introduction

Bookstart, as an evidence-based early-intervention programme, can support delivery of the HCP and support the work of health professionals with parents and carers around bonding and attachment, speech, language and socio-emotional development, school readiness and parental mental health.

 

Health professionals can incorporate Bookstart into many areas of the HCP. It is important to remember that the physical pack is just one aspect of programme. Best outcomes will be achieved when health professionals promote the importance of books, stories and rhymes at every contact with families.

How to incorporate Bookstart into the HCP: making every contact count

Gifting the Bookstart packs is just one opportunity to talk to parents and carers about the benefits of reading with their child. There are other opportunities within the HCP to encourage parents to develop a daily habit of reading with their baby or child. Bookstart is another way of contributing to your wider organisational goals.

Bookstart contributes towards:

• Key local priorities for children and young people
• Health and well-being of children and maternal well-being
• Early Years Foundation Stage outcomes
• Narrowing the gap between vulnerable families and others

‘Bookstart sits in succinctly with HCP delivery, because that delivery is across all our partner agencies and how we work in partnership. We’re working hand in hand with early years, children’s centres, social care etc, so it really does ensure that every child gets that equal opportunity... we’re making sure that all the children have a universal offer at the time when they should have it… It’s a tool that helps with that overall objective of the HCP.’
Health Visitor

Advice, guidance and messaging for specific reviews included in the HCP

28 weeks pregnant

• Encourage parents to read aloud and sing to the baby before birth promoting bonding and attachment. Evidence shows how a baby can identify a parent's voice immediately after birth
• Encourage fathers to read to the ‘bump’. This is a great way for them to be actively involved and can encourage them to bond with the baby
• BookTrust recommends mothers reads for pleasure and relaxation when pregnant, which contributes to health and well-being
• The Bookstart website provides downloadable rhyme sheets that can support this

Birth to one week

• Encourage parents to read aloud from a book from birth. Reading a book at bedtime can help establish a bedtime routine and can have a calming effect on the baby. It doesn’t have to be a children’s book, any appropriate reading material - such as a novel or a magazine - will do the job!
• Encourage parents to sing rhymes while holding the baby close so that they can see the parent’s face. Singing rhymes can soothe and distract a baby. The human voice is the best tool for soothing, exciting or interesting baby. Reading aloud and sharing picture books encourages closeness and picture books with rhyming text can be very soothing.

One week to six weeks

• The Bookstart pack can be gifted at this contact if decided and agreed locally. If gifting the pack, parents should ideally be shown the contents of the pack and supported to understand the benefits of developing a regular daily book sharing habit. Health visitors can model how a book can be shared with the baby. Let parents know what the baby can see and hear
• Explain how reading aloud and sharing a book can contribute to bonding, socio-emotional, and speech and language development
• Signpost to Bookstart Rhymetimes in libraries and children’s centres where they can access more books and join in with other families. Many libraries have special sessions just for babies and their mums, dads or carers
• Access dual language resources for families whose first language is not English via the local Bookstart Coordinator

‘Bookstart packs are universal so there is no stigma attached. The children whose families do not share books are encouraged to do so and given the books to enable them to start immediately. The packs also act as encouragement to attend the health check.’
Professional Lead Health Visitor, Bury PCT

Six weeks to six months – assessment of the mother’s mental health at six to eight weeks and three to four months

The Bookstart pack can be gifted at this contact if decided and agreed locally.

• Good maternal and child mental health can be encourage through the shared positive experiences of looking at a book together
• Describe how sharing a book together helps a parent and baby feel close – encouraging bonding and attachment. Babies can be soothed by the melodic sound of a parent’s voice when reading aloud. Older babies can be excited by bright pictures and the anticipation of the next page. Board books can be tactile and encourage babies to interact
• Describe how finding things to talk about to a baby can be difficult, and books can open up a whole new world of possible conversations and enable a parent to interact with a baby with funny voices, noises, facial expressions and gestures when pointing out pictures that are not always afforded in everyday life. Books introduce a rich vocabulary into the parent-baby conversation
• Babies begin to associate books with a warm and loving experience

‘Bookstart packs are universal so there is no stigma attached. The children whose families do not share books are encouraged to do so and given the books to enable them to start immediately. The packs also act as encouragement to attend the health check.’
Professional Lead Health Visitor, Bury PCT

Eight weeks immunisation

• A nurse carrying out the immunisation could mention the benefits of books and rhymes here – the parent or carer could sing to the baby or share a book to distract from any discomfort or distress

Jump to Bookstart and the Healthy Child Programme: part two