Category: Community Content and Services

Yaffa Reads

An innovative reading encouragement project in Jaffa aimed at raising awareness of the importance of reading to young children by promoting behavioral change among caregivers of toddlers.

A municipal study revealed that in Jaffa’s Arabic-speaking community, most toddlers remain at home until the age of 3. Upon entering municipal kindergarten at the age of 3, many exhibit significant language development delays. The study also uncovered a gap in parents’ understanding of early language development: many do not recognize their crucial role in supporting their children’s linguistic development during early childhood or the impact that reading books can have on healthy language development.

Out of a desire to bridge the language gap, a new initiative was born: Yaffa Reads - Reading Tutorials for Parents and Children, which focuses on fostering lasting changes in the reading habits of parents and children. The initiative aims to actively involve parents and the community in recognizing the critical importance of language acquisition, empowering them to take on a critical role in their children’s development. We envisioned a project that would benefit young children by inspiring positive changes in the behavior of their parents and immediate environment, through reading books aloud and instilling daily language practice.

Project structure:

Four weekly group sessions at the community center.

Each session includes:

Guided storytime for parents and children
Shared reading practice time
Group parent training while the children enjoy a separate, engaging activity

Focusing on behavioral change:

To encourage reading among families with young children, we selected measurable tools for behavioral change. We developed a process that promotes lasting changes in habits and routines. Professional external consultants assisted us in designing the project and creating tools to evaluate its effectiveness. The main practices we used to encourage changes in parents’ behavior include:

> An active WhatsApp group and reminders (nudges) as a means of maintaining continuity of practice and supporting ongoing change between sessions.

> Practical weekly parent training that equips them with practical tools for early childhood language development, as well as a space for sharing and consultation.

> Distribution of 2 age-appropriate books for reading practice at home.

Partnering municipal units:
–The Community Division at Mishlama Jaffa, the Early Childhood Division at the Education Administration, the Birth to Age 3 Department, and kindergarten teachers in Jaffa daycare centers.

Number of Participants

15 families per group. (The project consists of several groups running simultaneously)

Duration of the Activity

Four weekly sessions, each session lasting 2 hours

Location

Community centers and libraries

Maintenance Required

* Feedback and focus groups to ensure impact

Cost Components

Program development (needs mapping, content creation) * Operation - program coordination, parent training, parallel activities for children * Books for distribution * Incentives for kindergartens

Suitable for Ages

Parents of young children from the Arab community in Jaffa

Impact

An increase in the frequency and duration of reading at home, so that reading aloud is seen as a meaningful activity and not just a quick “bedtime story.”
Involvement of other family members in reading books to toddlers (such as fathers and older siblings).
Improved access to age-appropriate and language-appropriate books, with an increase in the amount and variety of books in homes.
Community building and meaningful exposure for parents, especially young and inexperienced ones, to information and support on parenting topics.
Making community services accessible to residents who had not previously been exposed to them and encouraging their participation in the municipality’s early childhood activity programs.

What we learned along the way

Participant registration was conducted through personal outreach and parent-child groups were organized by kindergartens to foster a sense of community and ensure similar socioeconomic backgrounds. This approach positively affected participation rates and increased commitment and consistency compared to other programs.
Ongoing communication throughout the project (via WhatsApp groups). Sending reminders and encouragement (nudges) for reading practice at home was a core strategy for instilling the behavioral change we aimed to achieve. Parents reported that these reminders increased their motivation and strengthened their sense of involvement and connection.
A central role for kindergarten teachers - the kindergarten setting played an important role in encouraging parents to register and stay committed to the project. We enlisted the support of the kindergarten staff, so that any kindergarten with a parent group demonstrating commitment to the project would receive an upgraded reading corner.
Collaboration with professionals led to a project tailored to the community’s characteristics and needs - given the project’s unique and complex nature, we involved partners and experts in the field of early childhood development who supported the project in planning, guidance, and the creation of a high-quality evaluation process.