This qualitative study examines how youth participants in an ongoing community-based literacy initiative sought to increase awareness of racial justice among residents of their subsidized housing community in support of the Black Lives Matter movement in summer 2020 and throughout the 2020-2021 academic year. We utilize theories of racial literacy…

A prevalent misconception is that reading must be a solitary endeavor. This view of reading creates an instant aversion for many teens who tend to be social creatures. This article discusses how Kristen Deuschle, the district media specialist for Forsyth County Schools in Cumming, Georgia, combined two of her passions--community outreach and…

While social justice models of service-learning improve on volunteerism that ignores structural inequality, they often neglect the critical role of local environments in which the service occurs. I argue that a place-based model of service-learning enables a diverse student body to move beyond compassionate service to social justice activism. In…

Community-based literacy learning spaces are crucial to the enduring African American pursuit of literacy. This article reports findings from a study exploring the impact of a community-based literacy tutoring program for African American readers in grades 3-5. Findings also report on ways the community literacy site was similar to historic…

Current national and international research indicates the summer break can negatively affect students' reading achievement. To counter this effect, our primary school with a range of students worked in collaboration with our local public library to plan and implement a summer reading programme. The purpose of the programme was to increase…

Synergy may be defined as the collaboration between two or more parties to produce a combined effect greater than the sum of their separate parts. That is exactly what happened in Denton, Texas, when all types of librarians collaborated on a community reading initiative. In 2007 Denton Reads--a One Book, One Community organization--was formed with…

Family Literacy Night is an exciting way to engage students and their parents in meaningful literacy activities while building community spirit and strengthening the partnership between school and home. It is an opportunity for students to show their parents what they do in school; how they create in the computer lab, how they work in the art…

Describes a parent volunteer tutoring program, called "Reading Together," that is run by members of the community, and that provides opportunities for kindergarten and pre-first-grade children to read and write in a playful environment. (SR)

Describes the "Partners in Reading" project, which pairs adults from the community with eighth-grade students to read books together and journal together. Describes how the program has grown. Details the many positive reading/writing outcomes for students and for participating adults, how students feel more connected to adults in the community,…

Describes ways to involve parents in supporting quality reading instruction through communication and activities. The New Haven (Conn.) Public Schools used school book lending, newsletters, school-sponsored family nights, daytime parent visitation, and other strategies to increase parent participation. (SRT)

These four articles address issues related to teens and reading. Highlights include an interview with a young adult literature author; a community literature festival in St. Charles (Illinois) that introduces students to authors, poets, journalists, and storytellers; library services for youth in detention centers, including book discussion…

Describes a service learning program with a focus on literacy called the Student Literacy Corps. Describes how urban elementary school children, college students, professors, administrators, and community members worked, shared, and learned together. Includes a sample lesson. (SR)

Describes the Charlottesville (Virginia) Volunteer Tutorial, a one-on-one tutorial program that promotes the literacy development of young children and involves a wide range of community volunteers. Suggests that the program offers one model of an affordable, alternative form of early intervention. (SR)