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Question: Impact Study on Reader Development Program : A Case of Reading Seeds Program by PUSTAKA Negeri Sarawak

Answer: The global literacy rate, estimated at 86.3% by the UNESCO Institute for Statistics (UIS), can be
attributed to the proactive efforts of libraries and academic institutions worldwide in devising effective
methods to boost literacy. PUSTAKA Negeri Sarawak exemplifies this trend through its initiation of
several Reading Development Programmes, including PANdei, PUSTAKA in a Box, Bookaroo, Makers
Meet, and Reading Seeds. One of these programs, the Reading Seeds Programme (RSP), stands out for
its focus on enhancing literacy—both reading and writing—for parents and babies from the prenatal
stage up to the child's third year. Developed in-house as an award-winning initiative, the RSP aims to
raise literacy levels, particularly in the Sarawak region. Launched in 2018, the program has successfully
engaged around 12,000 users with its comprehensive Version 3.0 materials and modules. The Reading
Seeds Programme (RSP) has different parts that can help children grow better. These parts include things
like moving well, talking and listening, social skills, and getting better at reading. The RSP also seems
to help children spend less time in front of screens. The RSP works better when parents are involved.
The RSP has clear objectives: fostering a reading culture, encouraging parents to read to their newborns,
building children's vocabulary, and nurturing their confidence. The program's core content is designed
to facilitate a child's holistic development, encompassing areas such as gross and fine motor skills,
language, hearing, social and cognitive abilities, as well as literacy development. However, the specific
outcomes directly linked to the RSP remain uncertain. With this in mind, this study is specifically
designed to ascertain the impact of reading seed programs (RSP) of PUSTAKA Negeri Sarawak
specifically in Kuching, Samarahan and Lundu. A survey questionnaire was developed to gather data on
demographic information, reading behaviors, parental participation, vocabulary skills, confidence
growth, and feedback regarding the RSP. A preliminary study conducted indicates that the questionnaire
is both valid and reliable for collecting data. In essence, the findings reveal that the RSP has the highest
significant impact on fostering reading habits, followed by parental engagement, the child's vocabulary
proficiency, and the development of confidence. These findings also take into account demographic
factors such as ethnicity, the highest educational qualifications, the child's age, the child's gender, the
date/year of receiving RSP kits, and the number of siblings who have utilized the RSP kits.

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(Source: Pustaka Negeri Sarawak, 21 Aug 2024)