Title
Phoenix Public Library's Early Literacy Resources
Description
This report provides the Community and Cultural Investment Subcommittee with an overview of Phoenix Public Library's Early Literacy programs, resources and services.
THIS ITEM IS FOR INFORMATION AND DISCUSSION.
Report
Summary
Phoenix Public Library (PPL) has been focused on early literacy for more than 30 years. Phoenix Public Library's Early Literacy resources, programs, and services are a cornerstone of the Library’s strategic plan because we know there is nothing more important to the health and vitality of our community than supporting the growth and development of children.
In the last 10 years in particular, Phoenix Public Library has prioritized Early Literacy programs, resources and services with a new sense of urgency and purpose. Working collaboratively with First Things First and Read On Phoenix, we’ve learned that children's first five years are a critical period for brain development, learning and growth. We know that a child’s vocabulary at age two is a reliable predictor for language and literacy achievement in fifth grade; and that back and forth conversation with a young child lights up the brain, and a rich oral language immersion speeds language development. In conjunction with language development, a child's reading proficiency by third grade is one of the most important predictors of school performance and career success. In grades K-2, children are learning to read and beginning in grade 3, children are reading to learn. Per the national "Campaign for Grade-Level Reading," a high percentage of children are not able to read well enough to learn by the end of third grade.
As part of the Read On Phoenix Coalition, Phoenix Public Library has seen steadily rising achievement in 3rd grade reading proficiency in greater Phoenix school systems, until March of 2020 with the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic. A recent report by State Literacy Director Terri Clark shows that the pandemic impacted all grade levels, but incoming kindergartners showed the steepest declines. Kindergartners saw a 29 percentage point decrease in the number of students scoring “at benchmark.” Put another way, the percentage of students on track to read at grade level dropped by more than half (55 percent) compared to the previous year. Correspondingly, significantly more students scored “at risk” (the lowest achievement level) in that year. The jump from 2020 to 2021 was 26 to 54 percent. Commonly understood anecdotal stories about the difficulties of teaching young children virtually also points to a troubling trend of kinder and 1st graders who are not mastering the basic foundational skills in reading in order to learn.
Because Arizona, and Phoenix in particular, has a lower than average number of young children in quality preschool environments, it falls to parents and caregivers to make sure their children have the critical school readiness skills that predict future academic success. Families need help and that’s where we fit in. We know that families that make the public library part of their regular routine are more resilient and engaged in early learning. Traditional Storytimes model reading aloud, storytelling and singing and are child focused, however PPL Early Literacy programs are adult education. We are sharing brain science and its practical applications with parents in a very direct way. Every program is based on a particular Early Learning Message such as: the message might be on Phonological Awareness with library staff starting a class by saying: “When we have kids focus on the sounds of language, it helps them learn to read. Good readers can play with the sounds of language!” Storytimes then include 2-3 activities that reinforce that point and show parents how to do it at home.
Over the last 6 years, more intensive and intentional programs to help prepare children for school have been developed. "Kindergarten Bootcamp", a 7-week program for families of children who will start kindergarten in the next school year, is as much for the adults as it is for the children. Parents and caregivers are shown how to work on these school readiness skills at home during the months leading up to kindergarten. "Kindergarten Bootcamp" covers math and reading, as well as science and social-emotional skills. Families leave with tons of activities and free books they can use to practice skill development.
“123 Talk With Me”, a 10-week course for parents of infants and toddlers is our newest workshop and focuses on brain development and early language acquisition. The class is centered on a proprietary technology developed by the LENA Foundation. It’s a talk pedometer. The child wears the device once a week during the program, providing parents with concrete evidence of how much they talk to their child, how much vocabulary the child hears, and how often there is electronic sound (like TV) on in the background. This program is incredibly motivational. Only the parents attend the weekly sessions and then go home and practice with their babies, and many report quickly seeing results in the next week.
Messages and engagement are not limited to just Phoenix Public Library programs. PPL ensures they are reflected throughout the children’s spaces at all 17 Phoenix Public Library locations. In 2016, PPL launched the Great Children’s Book collections throughout the PPL system to help families find the best books for their children. The Phoenix Public Library Foundation also supports these efforts by raising funds to build interactive early learning play spaces in libraries. Installations at PPL libraries include dozens of unique colorful activities that families can explore together.
In addition to finding this emphasis on Early Literacy throughout Phoenix Public Library locations, library staff conduct robust outreach programs that visits schools, child care centers, family resource centers, recreation centers, and other community sites. In 2021 alone, library outreach staff packed and gave out more than 5,000 books to struggling readers and launched Phoenix's first StoryWalk book trail at Cesar Chavez Library and Park (3635 W. Baseline Rd. - D7) in Laveen. This permanent trail features rotating picture books (4 bilingual books displayed each year) with an additional trail scheduled for installation at Edison Park (901 N. 19th St. - D8) in Central Phoenix in February, 2022.
Details and information about Phoenix Public Library's early learning and literacy programs are listed prominently on phoenixpubliclibrary.org with schedules included in the library’s online calendar. Pre-recorded Early Literacy programs are made available to library customers and the public 24/7 on Phoenix Public Library’s Facebook, Instagram and Youtube accounts.
Department
Responsible Department
This item is submitted by Deputy City Manager Inger Erickson and the Library Department.