September is National Literacy Month, and Phi Kappa Phi continues its month-long celebration by looking back at some of the 2018 Literacy Grant recipients’ projects.

In 2018, Phi Kappa Phi awarded Literacy Grants of up to $2,500 to 13 projects around the country. Read how some of those recipients are making a difference:

Measurement Literacy Enrichment Program
Steve Elliott
This partnership between Chapter 127 at The University of Tennessee at Martin and the staff of the Martin Enrichment Academy strives to improve children’s concept of measurement using literature. Weekly visits by UTM mathematics and science faculty to the MEA after-school program involved reading measurement-themed books to the students and conducting measurements suggested by the books. Students measured length, mass, volume, and density and were able to keep the books, measuring tapes and rulers used in the exercise.
 
 
 
 
 

Book Club Kits for Adult Literacy
Amy C. Nickless
This project allowed for the creation of book club kits for Wolfner Talking Book and Braille Library patrons. Each kit was designed to include activities and discussion questions to support the selected titles. The activities incorporate multisensory elements, such as tactile and scented objects, music, and audio described DVDs to illustrate the books in an accessible format for visually and physically disabled Missourians. The project has generated national interest among other Talking Book and Braille Libraries after a preview was shared at the 2019 KLAS Users Conference.
 
 
 
 
 
 

Islanders Helping the Early Acceleration of Readers Together (iHeart)
Bethanie C. Pletcher
The iHEART program is a tutorial initiative between the Texas A&M University – Corpus Christi Phi Kappa Phi chapter and Kennedy Elementary School in West Oso Independent School District. Undergraduate teacher candidates provide supplemental instruction to small groups of elementary students who struggle with literacy tasks. The mission is to provide children with early reading intervention and to give teacher candidates opportunities to implement strategies they’ve learned. The Literacy Grant paid for more than 1,000 guided reading books for use by the program tutors.
 
 

 
   

Read more about the Phi Kappa Phi Literacy Grants program and see what literacy initiatives are being championed by all of the 2018 grant recipients.

Photos provided by award recipients

Top photo – University of Tennessee at Martin volunteers work with children at the Martin Enrichment Academy as part of the Measurement Literacy Enrichment Program

Middle photo – Book club kits created for Wolfner Talking Book and Braille Library patrons include multisensory elements to support the selected title.

Bottom photo – Bethanie Pletcher, left, works with elementary students in Texas as part of the iHEART program.