Article Link: http://exchangepress.com/article/integrating-literacy-development-into-school-age-care-programs/5016852/
“Education is a social process; education is growth;education is not a preparation for life but is life itself.”
John Dewey
Sitting in rows, children are making puppets of the characters in the story they have just read. Two middle school boys work together on a script for their upcoming play. An eight-year-old girl works with a mentor to sound out an unfamiliar word. Three adolescents write a letter to the local restaurant requesting a donated meal for the upcoming fundraiser. All these activities are common enough in our schools today. However, more frequently, these scenes are also taking place in school-age care programs as these programs take on a larger role in the literacy development of young people. Many school-age care programs have traditionally been involved in such efforts through tutoring and mentoring programs, homework assistance, as well as sponsoring book clubs, reading corners, and libraries. They engage participants in literacy activities as a part of their every day practices, often without being consciously aware that they are doing so. But, pressure is increasing to expand and become intentional in that involvement.
This push is coming from many different directions. As funding for school-age care programs increasingly flows through school districts, the schools ...