Pop-up Children’s Library: Empowering the Next Generation of Children & Teachers

Primary Contact and Title: Dr. Laura Herold, Clinical Assistant Prof. of HDFS
Primary Contact E-mail: lkherold@uark.edu
Primary Contact Phone Number: 479-575-5162

Project Summary (200 word maximum)

This innovative, community-based project integrates analyses of children’s book access across Northwest Arkansas (NWA) with the development of original teacher training methods and community outreach to promote literacy development in young children.

Access to print varies by neighborhood and has been linked to improved outcomes for children. Yet we know little about the access to books that diverse children from NWA have. Neither do we know much about the types and quality of books available to them. This is problematic, given the importance of book content (e.g., presence of a strong female character) to children’s development of cultural competency and citizenship skills (e.g., justice, responsibility).

To effectively serve NWA children, I must help the birth-kindergarten (B-K) teacher candidates I instruct understand children’s access to print in NWA communities. In particular, they must know how access to books that build cultural competency and citizenship skills varies in these communities. Having gained this understanding, they will deepen their learning by co-designing and presenting a Pop-up Children’s Library to target these areas.

Finally, I will analyze the educational benefit of the research and community service embedded in this project as a learning tool, increasing my effectiveness as an instructor.

(I will pursue these goals in 3 phases described below in expected outputs and outcomes.)

Is this: a new program

Please list media sites (if any) utilized by your project or program to publicize the project/program, i.e., website, social media, etc.
The following media sites will be used to publicize this project:
1. University of Arkansas Newswire
2. University of Arkansas School of Human Environmental Sciences (HESC) website
3. University of Arkansas Human Development and Family Sciences (HDFS) Facebook page
4. University of Arkansas Southern Early Childhood Association (SECA) student club Facebook page
5. University of Arkansas Office of Service Learning website (possible)

If your project is funded, describe innovative ways how the WGC will be recognized in the success/completion of your project:

If this project is funded, the WGC will be recognized in the following ways:

1. A sign describing the WGC and thanking them for their support will be affixed to the actual pop-up library, which will be presented throughout NWA for many years to come.
2. An offer will be made to present the pop-up library at a WGC event, or alternatively at a location chosen by the WGC, to both showcase the project and further support literacy development in our community. This event could then be featured in an article highlighting the work of the WGC.
3. Credit will be given in all related journal publications and conference presentations
4. Mention and thanks will be given in a Newswire article about the project

Grant Proposal

What is the specific scholarly or community needs your grant request addresses? (100 word maximum)
This request addresses needs in the areas of teaching, research, and public service, exemplifying the University’s three-fold mission.

Teaching: A new course, HESC 3333, helps teacher candidates foster language and literacy development in B-K classrooms. But a collaborative, experiential project is needed to deepen and authenticate their learning.

Research: More information is needed about NWA children’s book access. The value of the Pop-up Children’s Library as experiential learning and action research must be analyzed. An increase in graduate student engagement in the B-K program is also needed.

Public Service: Access to quality books is needed to improve the literacy and cultural competency of diverse children in NWA.

How does your proposed project or program assess how these needs will be redressed?
(100 word maximum)

Teaching: My undergraduates will co-develop and implement the pop-up library, deepening their knowledge of language and literacy pedagogy.

Research: By funding a graduate student for a year, this proposal addresses multiple research needs. It will: enable successful data collection/analysis and ongoing management of the pop-up library; strengthen graduate student involvement in our B-K program; support a selected incoming graduate student.

Public Service: HESC 3333, a service learning course, matches undergraduates with children needing one-on-one literacy instruction and book reading. Building on this, the implementation of the Pop-up Children’s Library will increase literacy access in targeted areas of NWA.

(For information on measurement, see expected outputs and outcomes).

Describe any unique and/or innovative aspects of your project or program that improves what is already known about your area of inquiry. (100 word maximum)

The importance of book access and shared reading for literacy development is established, as is the value of practicum experiences for teachers-in-training. However, no known program engages undergraduates in the creation and presentation of a Pop-up Children’s Library; its pedagogical value is unknown.

The innovative UA Pop-up Children’s Library will include mobile storage, seating, children’s books, instructions for accessing e-content from the Fayetteville Public Library (FPL), and learning props. It will be facilitated by HESC 3333 undergraduates in research-based strategic locations. The library will be developed with input from David Johnson and FPL staff, and will increase access to quality books in NWA.

(Examples of pop-up libraries: http://tiny.cc/af49ky http://tiny.cc/ag49ky
http://s3.amazonaws.com/contemporaryartgroup/wp-content/uploads/2012/10/FP-12_014b.jpeg )

Please list up to five (5) expected outputs and outcomes with corresponding measurements (Please note: just listing outputs is not sufficient.)

Phase 1: data will reveal the quantity/quality of NWA children’s book access with vital support from an hourly grad assistant. We will use the Early Language and Literacy Classroom Observation scale and measures designed by Neuman & Celano.

OUTPUT 1: Understanding of book access in NWA. MEASUREMENTS: 1A – Research article on book access based on my results; 1B – Successful co-design of pop-up library and site selection

Phase 2: results will influence the creation and use of a community intervention, the Pop-up Children’s Library. Students will experience unique, hands-on experiential learning, taking steps to solve a complex, real-world problem.

OUTPUT 2: Creation and presentation of pop-up library across NWA in HESC 3333
MEASUREMENTS: 2A – Research article on development and impact of the pop-up library as a community intervention; 2B – Records of use of the library in the field

Phase 3: the pedagogical benefits of involving undergraduates in this project as an instructional tool will be revealed.

OUTPUT 3: Understanding of benefits of this action research as teaching tool
MEASUREMENTS: 3A – Pre/post test, questionnaires, student interviews, Teacher Excellence Support System (TESS) evaluations; 3B – Research article on benefits of this action research project as an instructional tool; 3C – Sustained use of library by students in other B-K curriculum courses

Document if there are other programs/projects that attempt to address the same needs as your proposal. If so, describe whether and how you will collaborate with them.(100-word maximum)

To my knowledge, no teacher licensure program engages undergraduate and/or graduate students in the development and management of a Pop-up Children’s Library. However, a number of successful pop-up libraries exist across the country. Engaging with those responsible for these mini libraries would increase the success of the proposed project, and is something I plan to do.

I am also interested in collaborating with University of Arkansas scholars Vicki Collet and Conra Gist. Their Laundry & Literacy Project studies the impact of books in local laundromat on children’s literacy. Our projects may be able to influence each other.

Demographic Considerations

First generation students engaged in the project: Yes
Number of current UA students engaged in the project:
Geographic region served: Northwest Arkansas

Budgetary Considerations

Have you received WGC Funding before? No

Please provide the year(s) and project name(s)
NA

Total proposed budget for project or program: (proposed budgets of more than $20K will not be considered; in typical years WGC proposals fall within in the $5-10K range)
$18,350

Please list total funding commitments from external or campus sources to date:7,500

How much, if any, of your request involves funding for the following?
Student Compensation: 100%
Equipment: 0%

Total funds requested from WGC Grant: $10,850

If this project or program will continue after WGC grant money has been spent, please describe how you will continue to fund this project or program (100-word maximum)

This project will positively impact my undergraduate students, helping them achieve learning outcomes related to effective early literacy pedagogy. It will also positively impact children across NWA, both now and in the future. However, a major benefit of this project is that, once phases 1 through 3 have been completed, this project can continue to be used as a joint teaching and community enrichment tool without sustained funding. Rather, this project will be sustained through ongoing use by students enrolled in the HESC courses mentioned above.

This unique teaching method may also be used in CIED courses in early literacy (CIED 3103/3113).