Little Engines that Could… An Early Literacy Collaboration

Abstract

Ericson Public Library resides in Boone, IA, the county seat of a mostly rural Midwest state. It has a history of railroading and mining and draws visitors to enjoy a scenic and historic train ride, so Little Engines seemed like the perfect name for our library’s project, designed to enhance and support early literacy in the community. To increase our impact, we sought to do both a library and community-based project.

The purpose of Little Engines was to implement and evaluate an innovative education approach to support parents and/or caregivers to create literacy-rich environments for their preschool-aged children. Our larger goal was to increase family engagement by partnering with community organizations and preschools to make connections between kindergarten readiness for children and learning opportunities at the library and in the community. The project included an evaluation component, and we approached it through the lens of an ecological developmental framework (e.g., Bronfenbrenner’s ecological model).