Adult Literacy and the Science of Reading
Brooklyn Public Library
Innovation Synopsis
In 2024, BPL’s Adult Literacy department shifted from “balanced literacy” towards evidence-based practices supported by the “science of reading”. This involved changes to department goals, strategic vision, volunteer tutor training, adult learning curriculum, staff and patron collections, and best practices for learning centers to support volunteers and students. This innovation focuses on curriculum and professional development changes, including the strategic vision, progress made, wisdom gained, and how these shifts were implemented by the Director of Adult Learning, Manager of Education and Training, and Adult Learning Center Site Manager at their respective levels.
Challenge/Opportunity
When starting this transition, BPL Adult Learning searched for resources, templates, and previous successes for departmental change in the area of adult literacy. While literacy organizations have developed and compiled evidence-based reading instructional methods, an institutional shift required strategy, delegation, and ongoing education. This project addressed:
--Partner relationships, outreach, and funding for department initiatives
--Garnering systemwide support and awareness
--Developing professional development for explicit instruction of all five pillars of reading
--Managing staff and tutor curriculums, collections, and instructional routines
--Recognizing cueing and “balanced literacy” habits and how to replace them with effective alternatives
--Educating the public on the science of reading and learning
--How to overcome challenges and interdepartmental resistance to change
Key Elements of Innovation
In 2024, BPL was granted $50,000 from State Assemblymember Robert Carroll in order to update our curriculums to center evidence-based instructional methods. With this funding, our team conducted research, consulted outside experts, and purchased collections for our staff and tutors. This process, which requires continuous onboarding, hands-on mentorship, and ongoing research, offers a solution to US low literacy rates (22% according to the World Population Review) and an example of the role libraries can play in lowering this statistic. Our innovation addresses:
--Assessing student and staff abilities, and creating and achieving actionable goals
--Using instructional routines, games, and structured literacy to empower tutors and students
--Synthesizing contemporary research and instructional methods in the community/adult education setting
--Centers public libraries as wraparound literacy resource banks, from beginning to fluent readers.
Achieved Outcomes
--Redesigned Tutor and Staff training directly aligned to best practices with the Science of Reading
--Ongoing professional development for staff and existing tutors
--Partnerships with Brooklyn College, the Reading Institute, Sterling School, Child Mind Institute, and Benchmark Education
--Unity of interdepartmental strategic initiatives, including with children’s librarians and Youth/Family Services
--Adoption of Gallistel Ellis assessment to measure student decoding skills; ensuring accurate and reliable assessments are used for historically overlooked populations, even in adult education.
--Ongoing measurement of skill achievement using GE assessment and Measurable Skill Gains on TABE assessments
--Purchase of decodable book collections at 5 adult learning centers
--Training of 150+ tutors in evidence-based reading instruction (EBRI) using Literacy Minnesota Phonics Workbooks
--All literacy staff completed SUNY New Paltz 40 hour Science of Reading microcredential
--$50,000 grant
