ERIC Number: ED623213
Record Type: Non-Journal
Publication Date: 2021-Oct-12
Pages: 14
Abstractor: As Provided
ISBN: N/A
ISSN: N/A
EISSN: N/A
Available Date: N/A
Transforming Community Spaces into Opportunities for Playful Learning: Measuring Progress and Success
Little, Priscilla M.
Forum for Youth Investment
Early literacy is a key predictor of grade-level reading and school success. Too often, however, young children do not have equitable access to literacy-rich environments that foster the skills needed to attain reading proficiency by the end of third grade. While high-quality preschool and early elementary programs are necessary early literacy supports for children, most young children in the United States only spend about 20% of their waking hours in formal classroom settings. This leaves enormous opportunity to create literacy-rich environments across the many places where children and families spend time--museums, libraries, parks, and playgrounds outside of formal learning settings. "Transforming Community Spaces into Opportunities for Playful Learning: Measuring Progress and Success" evaluates the impact of playful, literacy-rich environments and identifies how they support early literacy. In Winter 2021, The Forum for Youth Investment conducted a review of the William Penn Foundation's Literacy-Rich Environments portfolio evaluations. In addition to a thorough document review, the Forum facilitated a two-day convening of 32 individuals representing evaluators, program grantees, and other key stakeholders that are engaged with the Literacy-Rich Environments portfolio. This brief summarizes some of the key evaluation findings and draws on key insights shared by the many stakeholders who attended the convenings.
Descriptors: Emergent Literacy, Reading Skills, Learning Activities, Play, Young Children, Food, Retailing, Libraries, Museums, Parks, Community Education, Language Usage, Caregiver Child Relationship, Urban Environment
Forum for Youth Investment. The Cady-Lee House, 7064 Eastern Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20012-2031. Tel: 202-207-3333; Fax: 202-207-3329; e-mail: youth@forumfyi.org; Web site: https://forumfyi.org/knowledge-center/
Publication Type: Reports - Descriptive
Education Level: N/A
Audience: N/A
Language: English
Sponsor: William Penn Foundation
Authoring Institution: Forum for Youth Investment
Identifiers - Location: Pennsylvania (Philadelphia); Illinois (Chicago); New York (New York)
Grant or Contract Numbers: N/A
Author Affiliations: N/A