Action Team 7
Early Literacy Awareness and Book Access
OBJECTIVE
Increase early literacy awareness, engagement, and book access.
Team co-chairs
Katie Elam, Governor's Early Literacy Foundation
Melissa Spradlin, Book‘em
Current team
Christie Andrews, Learning Matters, Inc.
Liz Atack, Nashville Public Library
Emma Berry, 15th Ave North Learning Academy
Todd Campbell, Backfield In Motion
Clare Clarke, Nashville Book Connection
Lindsey Kimery, Metro Nashville Public Schools, Curriculum & Instruction
Lonnell Matthews, Jr., My Brother’s Keeper Nashville
Stefanie Rapp, Metro Nashville Public Schools
Chandra Simms, community member
Jennifer Wade, Metro Nashville Juvenile Court
Brandon White, United Way of Greater Nashville
Fast facts
Focused age group: 0-8
Timeline: 18 months
DOMAIN FOCUS
Supported and Supportive Families and Communities
Supports for Families
Skilled and Knowledgeable Parents
Positive Parent/Child Interactions
Reading with Children
+ Regular School Attendance (High-Quality Birth-Through-Age-Eight Learning Environments)
Strategy 1
Perform a gap analysis to understand accessibility of early literacy resources for families and early childhood professionals. Formulate strategies to address gaps.
SUCCESS METRICS:
Synthesis of data collected from families and community organizations and publication/distribution of findings
Development and distribution of toolkits
Number of presentations to various stakeholders to promote toolkit
Annual participant organization surveys about toolkit use
Strategy 2
Launch a research-based messaging campaign on importance of literacy development for families and caregivers of young children birth to age 8. Align and coordinate messaging distribution across stakeholders and literacy partners.
SUCCESS METRICS:
Number of messaging campaign models reviewed from other communities
Number of partners adopting shared messaging
Development of success metric for public messaging campaign (e.g., number of users accessing messages through various platforms, etc.)
Strategy 3
Coordinate and develop strategies to increase equitable book access for families in Davidson County.
SUCCESS METRICS:
Development of “current state” book distribution map
Set annual targets to measure increase of book access