Parents and children alike felt the backpacks were fun, exciting and gave more meaning to the time families spent together. Inside each backpack is two or three books, activity cards, props, all of the necessary response materials, and sometimes a tape recorder and cassette recording of one or more of the included stories. Some books in the backpacks were selected because of their strength in developing phonological awareness or establishing a sense of belonging. Others were chosen because they are classics or rich literature. The ECTA backpacks are sent home for five to seven days, including a weekend.
Children have the opportunity of using two backpacks per month.
Teachers have developed different checkout systems to meet their individual styles. Many have recruited volunteers to aid in the weekly refilling process.