1. Survey Results ­ August 2016
Montana State Library
1515 East 6th Avenue
PO Box 201800
Helena MT 59620­1800
(406) 444­3115
msl@mt.gov
http://msl.mt.gov

2. Ready 2 Read is a multi­faceted program of the
Montana State Library (MSL) that provides training
and materials to librarians and educational
outreach directly to parents with the goal of
positively influencing parents and caregivers to
share language and literacy with their children
beginning at birth. In 2015, MSL launched a text
messaging program for parents of preschoolers
designed to help them prepare their children for
kindergarten. For a period of eight months, parents
receive three texts per week about important
kindergarten readiness skills.
Overall, the Ready 2 Read text messaging program
covers a wide range of early literacy skills and
related parenting practices, including: alphabet
knowledge, letter sounds, beginning sound
awareness, rhyme awareness, nursery rhyme
awareness, name writing, concepts of print, story
comprehension, vocabulary development,
elaborative reminiscing, parent­child conversations,
listening to and singing songs, and establishing
high­quality parent­child book reading routines.
At the end of the eight­month program, participants
were asked to complete a survey via text to
determine whether they found the program useful.
Responses indicate very strong statistical and
anecdotal evidence that participants read the texts,
used the tips, and in general found the program
helpful. The following results were compiled in
August 2016. The survey had a 34% response
rate. 175 people provided feedback of 509 total
program participants.
Q1: The text messages helped you learn something new that you
can share with your children?
92% of respondents answered yes.
Q2: The text messages helped you feel more confident to help your
children learn?
96% of respondents answered yes.
Q3: Do you now spend more time with your children reading,
singing, talking, writing, and playing?
90% of respondents answered yes.
Q4: Are you more aware of how to help build your child’s early
literacy skills?
97% of respondents answered yes.
.
When asked the open­ended question, (Q5) “What did you like most
about the program, 13% of respondents provided an answer. Many
participants cited “ease of use,” “ideas for interaction,” and “the reminders
to read with my child”. Other participant responses included:
"All of it….creativity of curriculum.”
“Great ideas that were easy to implement.”
“Ideas on how to incorporate everyday tasks into
learning.”
“It was easy to use and understand. It gave fun ideas
to encourage early literacy for preschool children.”
“Text messages were easy to use and made a
difference in what my kid could do.”
“The frequency and the fun ideas. It was like having
a portable library of simple, easy things to remind us
to build literacy.”
“The information…was realistic and developmentally
appropriate.”
“The reminder to purposefully be teaching reading
skills.”
“The texts made it easy for your child to learn
something new a couple days a week and it hardly
took any time.”
Survey Results ­ August 2016
Survey Questions & Responses