National Children’s Museum Releases New Family Literacy Book

The National Children’s Museum today released Family Literacy Projects on a Budget: A Trainers’ Toolkit, available for purchase on Amazon.

The book provides educators and families with affordable resources and activities designed to foster literacy at school and in the home. Developed by National Children's Museum education experts, the book teaches school-age educators and family childcare providers to proactively address community literacy with PACT (parent and child together) teaching methods, creative hands-on activities, and inexpensive supplies.

This publication offers resources, ideas, helpful tips, and suggestions to develop and present cost-effective literacy activities based on broad themes and familiar subject matter. Emergent reading skills such as identifying everyday objects, storytelling, vocabulary practice, letter recognition, and print and phonological awareness comprise a comprehensive approach to family literacy and are integrated into the book.

To accompany the book, the Museum has also created a Family Literacy Projects on a Budget workshop that uses children’s books and a “green” approach to demonstrate comprehensive literacy activities that cut expenses, but do not compromise educational content. With a cost of 99 cents or less per participant, program providers use inexpensive, recycled, and found items to create literacy activities. Each training session offers “make-and-take” activities, such as book-making, dialogic reading techniques, and a costume and dress-up component.

The workshop was launched in Kentucky in 2007 and has since attracted 1,200 participants, from 10 U.S. states, Palestine, and Bahrain. Assuming each workshop attendee replicates the training with at least 30 other adults and children in their respective communities, NCM estimates an overall influence on over 36,000 people.

Family Literacy Projects on a Budget is available for purchase on Amazon. The book costs $20 plus shipping and handling.