Buck Leonard Association for Sports and Human Enrichment’s early literacy development model has received funding. The early literacy project puts the organization on the “road” of achieving its mission of providing a healthy menu of community enrichment services.

Project BIBBS (Babes, Ice Cream, Baseball & Books) an organic, community-based, parent/child project was developed by Buck Leonard Association for Sports & Human Enrichment, Inc. to experiment with novice, early literacy intervention methods to promote best practices among families of children often isolated by social and economic factors.

With universal research supporting the importance of early literacy routines that uses books and read-out-loud 
activities as the gateway to learning, the Babes, Ice Cream, Baseball & Books literacy model was designed to provide an eight-month program of literacy and language readiness activities.

The project will enroll 1- to 4-year-old children so that good reading habits and a zeal for reading are established before children enter school – with the promise that children will enter school as confident learners – prepared for academic success.

Project Babes, Ice Cream, Baseball & Books employs three early childhood education domains to enhance children’s overall development in language/ cognitive, physical, and social/emotional development.

The language/cognitive domain will involve parents as primary educator of their children in an ongoing program of read-out-loud episodes grounded in early childhood best practices. This approach requires a diverse library of reading materials across multiple book genres carefully selected by project staff.

Rose Hunter, BL-ASHE Director, explained the unique aspects of the Babes, Ice Cream, Baseball & Books early literacy model, “the project was crafted with an associative component that pairs a behavioral science approach to strengthen children’s early literacy or attending behavior with that of young children’s persistent need for food – the strong desire for oral gratification.”

Hunter continues, “the concept of ice cream, sugar free, low fat of course, and other tasty treats are introduced as the tag-a-long, taste good agents to encourage and reinforce the lesser or absent attending or listening behavior – the goal is for project participants to reason that “book taste good too.”

During the course of the project, children are expected to enjoy read-out-loud activities without the ice cream and snack reinforcements.

While the language/literacy domain is the centerpiece of the project and the only area that incorporates the subtle application of behavioral reinforcements, parents will participate in a host of planned activities to strengthen children’s physical skills and social emotional functioning

Unlike language and literacy components which will take place primarily in project participant’s homes once the parent education and training program has been completed, motor and social development activities will take place on the baseball diamond during the organization’s regular baseball season.

The use of the diamond as a playpen – as a family friendly, safe haven for children enrolled in the Babes, Ice Cream, Baseball & Books Project – is expected to accomplish the project’s subordinate goal of an early introduction baseball and its many facets for learning and personal development.

If the project is successful, and if all goals are met, the organization will seek additional funds to sustain the Babes, Ice Cream, Baseball & Books program and to increase project enrollment.

For more information about the Babes, Ice Cream, Baseball & Books Project may email Rose Hunter at buckleonard91@aol.com.