A Family Literacy Project and Place-Based Writing Initiative

With the support of Dr. Katz, my classmates and I (who were enrolled in the course “Early Language and Literacy Development” during Fall 2020) were provided with the knowledge and tools to develop future students who use language for creative expression. We participated in two meaningful experiences that connected us with students and families to encourage literacy development in the classroom and at home. The first was a virtual experience that linked us with middle schoolers as we dove into the book, Look Both Ways: A Tale Told in Ten Blocks, written by the current National Ambassador of Young People’s Literature. In this research project, we were able to share and reflect with middle schoolers about personal experiences through writing conferences and consider our own development as future literacy educators through self-study. We were able to see how we can all relate in some way, as discussion like this brings out powerful stories. The second experience enabled us to create our own “Family Literacy Project” to be given to families at a local community center. This project was dear to my classmates and I because it provided an opportunity for us to reflect on the content that we had learned throughout the semester in order to create a meaningful family literacy project to donate during these difficult times. These experiences have made me confident in my future career as a teacher, as it has helped me re-consider how we approach literacy in our daily lives