Bookbug: The mediating effect of book gifting in Scotland

This chapter explores the mediating effects that parental support can have on families’ relationship to children’s reading. We do this by examining ‘Bookbug,’ one of the Scottish Government’s flagship early years programmes run by Scottish Book Trust. In collaboration with local authorities and health boards, Bookbug gifts bags of books and resources to every child in Scotland, from birth to Primary 1 (the first year of primary school) and supports a network of practitioners to deliver free song and rhyme sessions (‘Bookbug Sessions’) across the country. Scottish Book Trust has a dedicated team that co-ordinates the distribution of the bags, as well as developing and delivering training for professionals who work with children and families, often referred to as practitioners due to their active role in supporting families. The training audience includes representatives from health, library, education, social work and volunteers within charities or third sector. The courses on offer aim to support effective gifting of the Bookbug Bags and support for those running Bookbug Sessions in community settings (such as support workers or specialist services). All Bookbug training is evidence-based and features key messages about how family engagement with stories, songs and rhymes contribute to better outcomes for children. There is also a strong emphasis on practical activities which aim to boost the key skills of professionals and offer a space for discussion and reflection. Based on the principles of universal entitlement and non-stigmatisation, the overall aim of the Bookbug programme is to provide parents, carers and children with the opportunity to share books from birth. Drawing on a growing body of scholarly evidence on the benefits of sharing stories, songs and rhymes, the programme seeks to positively impact on bonding and attachment within families; develop children’s language and writing skills; boost children’s confidence; and encourage families’ enjoyment and love of reading. Using evidence from a two-year evaluation of the Bookbug Programme conducted by Davidson et al from the Centre for Research on Families and Relationships, and the direct experiences of a practitioner delivering the programme, this chapter examines the ways Bookbug can be conceived as ‘mediating’ the reading practices of families in Scotland, and the extent to which such mediation is justified by its social benefits. We begin with a brief overview of the literature on literacy and the home learning environment, giving specific attention to inequalities. We move on to discuss the Bookbug model in detail, and how it is delivered to families in Scotland. We discuss the programme’s role as mediator by proposing that Bookbug is making a contribution to what, how and when children read in Scotland. These examples illustrate the forms of mediation implicit within the programme, but also the possibilities that exist for children and their families to interpret, engage and direct these. We conclude by arguing that three key factors underpin the success of Bookbug’s approach: its promotion of booksharing to all parents; an emphasis on encouraging families to develop their own family reading practices; and a recognition of children’s agency within this.