The Brooklyn Public Library on Friday received a $200,000 grant from the Heckscher Foundation for Children and $180,000 from Assemblymember Robert Carroll to expand the library system's literacy initiatives and provide phonics books at branches across the borough.
The latest allocation will help BPL to be among the first major library systems to fully integrate decodable books into its collection, officials said. Decodable books are comprised of simple passages for beginning readers that offer practice with specific phonics patterns.
“Our schools and libraries need to work in tandem when it comes to literacy education and it is wonderful to see BPL so fully embracing evidence-based practices," said Carroll. "I can’t wait to see libraries throughout Brooklyn stocked with the decodable readers that this funding will provide."
Partnering with The Reading Institute, the grant from the Heckscher Foundation will help to equip librarians and staff with the knowledge and tools to support the Science of Reading, align it with library-based literacy work, and create resources for caregivers to support early reading development at home.
“Libraries play such a vital role in our communities," said Dr. Katie Pace Miles, founder and president of The Reading Institute and associate professor of reading science at Brooklyn College. "They are often the first place families turn for books, storytime, and early learning. By elevating Brooklyn Public Library programs and activities that support science of reading, we can help families implement simple, joyful ways to support a literacy rich environment at home."
