Lit kits for the Muncie community

Caregivers have a significant impact on their children’s early language and literacy development. One of the many ways caregivers can support the skills needed for their children to become successful readers is through the use of literacy bags. Literacy bags contain an age appropriate children’s book along with fun and engaging activities that reinforce the literacy concepts presented within the children’s book. Further, literacy bags include a variety of benefits for children and adults. For children, literacy bags promote the acquisition of early language and literacy skills (e.g., phonological awareness, vocabulary development, as well as print awareness and motivation) and associate the feeling of enjoyment with the process of reading. For adults, literacy bags expand a caregiver’s knowledge on the variety of age-appropriate children’s books available and encourage caregivers to read aloud to and interact with their children. Based on the various benefits associated with literacy bags, such as increasing children’s early language and literacy skills and the level of parental involvement in children’s literacy development, I carried out the following creative thesis project: Lit Kits for the Muncie Community. The purpose of my project was to increase awareness of early language and literacy skills needed for academic success, educate caregivers on how they can promote and implement early language and literacy in their home, and encourage positive parent-child interactions within the community. This project consisted of a partnership with The Family Alliance, a $500 literacy grant from Heart of Indiana United Way, the development and creation of eight Lit Kits, the implementation of the Lit Kits with The Family Alliance, and a culminating project presentation.