Early Years Bookgifting is evidence-led, and with a history of independent academic research studies evaluating its benefits.
This page brings together presentations to the network that focus on evaluation (though evaluation is included in many presentations on these pages).
We also include presentations from the EURead Researchers Network.
The page also includes literature reviews or cross-organisational reports on early years bookgifting programmes.
Research presentations
EURead Researchers Network meeting 13 October 2022 – The benefits of reading: impact now vs later in life
Giorgio Tamburlini: Nati Per Leggere (Born to Read), Italy
Assessing the impact of the Nati per Leggere program in Italy: results and challenges
Betty Becker-Kurz: German Reading Foundation (Stiftung Lesen)
Reading Aloud and Mental Health: Insights from Neuroscience and Psychology
Niels Bakker: Dutch Reading Foundation (Stichting Lezen)
Reading fiction and empathy: in search of the relation
Some research studies on the benefits of early years bookgifting
Professor Sakakihara – 19 Oct 2020
Presenter: Professor Sakakihara, President of the Japanese Society of Child Science; Director of the Child Research Net (CRN); Former President of The Asian and Oceanian Child Neurology Association (AOCNA); and Board Member of Bookstart Japan. The professor is introduced by Izumi Satou of Bookstart Japan and of the Global Network Working Group.
4 May 2020 meeting – Impact evaluation
Brian Gallagher MPA: Reach Out and Read, USA – Reach Out and Read Research
– Reach Out and Read Research
Prof Dr Simone C Ehmig: Stiftung Lesen, Germany – Impact Evaluation of the 3 Milestones Project 2011-19
– Impact Evaluation of the 3 Milestones Project 2011-19
Nov 2020 – Progress and evaluations of new programmes
Sabine Bonewitz, German Reading Foundation, Stiftung Lesen, Germany
- Sabine Bonewitz, German Reading Foundation, Stiftung Lesen, Germany – Lesestart 123: changes from Lesestart (2011-19) and evaluation of year one.
Daiden O’Regan, Childrens Books Ireland
- Daiden O’Regan, Childrens Books Ireland – Book Seed: the pilot in Limerick and its end of first year evaluation
Anna Hällgren and Nina Suatan: Swedish Arts Council, Kulturradet, Sweden
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- Anna Hällgren and Nina Suatan: Swedish Arts Council, Kulturradet, Sweden – Evaluation design, and feedback on 5 years of programmes across Sweden
May 2021 – Health and Wellbeing
- Emmi Jäkkö: Lukukeskus (Finnish Reading Centre) – Lukulahja lapselle, a Book Bag for every baby: feedback from health care officials and families from the second round of evaluation
Emmi Jäkkö: Lukukeskus (Finnish Reading Centre)
Izumi Satou: Bookstart Japan
- Izumi Satou: Bookstart Japan – The Health and Wellbeing rationale for the founding of Bookstart Japan, and the qualitative approach to evaluating parent-child relationships.
May 2022 – Research updates on programmes
Emmi Jäkkö: Finnish Reading Centre, Lukukeskus, Finland
- Emmi Jäkkö: Finnish Reading Centre, Lukukeskus, Finland 27% of families begin reading – results of Finland’s first book gifting programme
Marijke Bos and Jette van den Eijnden: Dutch Reading Foundation, Stichting Lezen, Netherlands
- Marijke Bos and Jette van den Eijnden: Dutch Reading Foundation, Stichting Lezen, Netherlands The long-term effects of BoekStart (Bookstart): a longitudinal study
- https://www.lezen.nl/wp-content/uploads/2022/09/Vroeg_begonnen_veel_gewonnen_2022_summaryEN.pdf
Sabine Bonewitz: German Reading Foundation, Stiftung Lesen, Germany
- Sabine Bonewitz: German Reading Foundation, Stiftung Lesen, Germany Lesestart 1-2-3 and the effectiveness of early speech and reading development and English Poster Lesestart 1-2-3
Reports
Reviews and reports of early years bookgifting programmes in more than one country
Bookstart Around the World, from Kulturradet Sweden, the Swedish Arts Council, 2021
Presentation introducing the report – Bookstart around the world presentation
The report – Bookstart Around The World report
From Boekstart Netherlands
In June 2020 a meta-analysis on Bookgifting programs was published, to which the researcher Merel de Bondt, who is also researching the longer-term effects of the Dutch BookStart, contributed. https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/full/10.3102/0034654320922140