ILKIS Final Research Report
As researchers and professors in literacy studies at East Carolina University (ECU), we have committed to a five-year collaboration with the Read ENC Community Literacy Coalition to help ensure that families who might benefit most from Imagination Library (IL) are enrolled, to identify and promote evidence-based reading practices that will enhance the value of IL, and to evaluate the impact of these initiatives on student language/literacy skills at kindergarten entry.
During the baseline year and for each of the next four years, we will collect and match parent survey data with kindergarten student assessment data for 100-150 families/year. The survey includes demographics such as education and income level and questions related to reading frequency and reading practices within the home. Pitt County Schools is providing access to student achievement data, including state-mandated beginning- and end-of-year data on (constrained skills) measures of Letter Naming, Phonemic Awareness, Print Concepts/Reading Behaviors, and Text Reading Level.
In addition, we are assessing each participating student at kindergarten entry, using measures related to unconstrained skills, including narrative retelling, story comprehension, and reading motivation. These additional measures are what distinguishes our research from previous IL studies. Funding from ECU supports much of the data collection, analysis, and dissemination of findings, but it does not provide for the development and implementation of parental support interventions that result from our findings and may serve to optimize the impact of IL for enrolled families. We continue to seek external funding to develop and implement the parental support interventions in upcoming years.
Publications:
Atkinson, T. S., Anderson, K. L., & Swaggerty, E. A. (2019). Bridging the Gap Between Researchers and Wider Audiences: Navigating A Community Literacy Collaboration in Real-Time. EJournal of Public Affairs, doi: 10.21768/ejopa8.2.2.
Anderson, K. L., Atkinson, T. S., Swaggerty, E. A., & O’Brien, K. (2018). Examining relationships between home-based shared book reading practices and children’s language/literacy skills at kindergarten entry. Early Child Development and Care, 1-16. doi: 10.1080/03004430.2018.1443921.
Anderson, K. L., Atkinson, T. S., Swaggerty, E. A. & O’Brien, K. (2019). Exploring the short-term impacts of a community-based book distribution program. Journal of Literacy Research and Instruction. doi: 10.1080/19388071.2019.1579010.
Presentations:
Atkinson, T. S. & Anderson, K. L. (2020, August). From Idea To Reality: Developing an Early Literacy Action Plan With Community Partners. Community Indicators Consortium Virtual Impact Summit. Issaquah, WA.
Atkinson, T. S., Anderson, K. L., & Swaggerty, E. A. (2019, December). Preschool Parent Perspectives About At-home Shared Book Reading with Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library Books. Literacy Research Association, Tampa, FL.
Atkinson, T. S., Anderson, K. L., & Swaggerty, E. A. (2018, December). What do you Need? Supporting at-home Shared Book Reading in a Community-based Book Distribution Program. American Reading Forum, Sanibel, FL.
Anderson, K., Atkinson, T. S., Swaggerty, E. A., O’Brien, K., & Wangerin, S. (July, 2018). Examining the Impact of At-home Shared Book Reading on Kindergarten Children’s Narrative Retelling and Comprehension. International Literacy Association Conference, Austin, TX.
Anderson, K., Atkinson, T. S., & Swaggerty, E. A. (December, 2017). Examining Book Distribution Impact on Kindergarten Literacy Development: Year Two. Literacy Research Association Conference, Tampa, FL.
Anderson, K., Atkinson, T. S., & Swaggerty, E. A. (December, 2016). Examining book distribution impact on kindergarten literacy development: Initial steps. Literacy Research Association Conference, Nashville, TN.
Book Review:
Atkinson, T. S., & Anderson, K. L. (2019). Book review: The potential of collective impact: Moving the work of literacy coalitions forward. Journal of Community Engagement and Scholarship, 11(2). Retrieved from: https://digitalcommons.northgeorgia.edu/jces/vol11/iss2/11
This work is supported through the funding and efforts of ECU’s Office of Academic Affairs – Office of the Provost, ECU’s College of Education – Office of the Dean, and ECU-COE’s LEHE Department – Office of the Chair.
Summary of Findings for Baseline Year (Phase 1):
Summary of Findings from Year 1:
Study Timeline and Logic Model Moving Forward (Phase 2):