Early and Family Literacy

Jane Addams Hull House Association received the prestigious $3.2 million dollar Early Reading First (ERF) grant for the second time in 2006. Through these funds, we’ve enabled our staff to pursue research and identify best practices for the development of early literacy skills.  Our staff has benefited from extensive professional development on early literacy, through our partnership with Dr. Pat Steinhaus and Chicago State University. This enables Hull House staff to provide mentorship and coaching to teachers at other early childhood agencies.

Literacy continues to be an overarching focus of our educational and child developmental programs.  Our programs focus on providing family support services that stress literacy and parenting skill development.  We work to enhance the environment of our classrooms by providing stimulating activities and interactions to ensure literacy instruction is incorporated into daily activities.

Our programs place a strong emphasis on emergent literacy skill development.   We also provide parents with information, materials and activities to effectively engage their children at home.   Interactive parent/child activities are provided regularly, such as family reading nights and a lending library of take home kits.

Family Literacy Programs provide English as a Second Language (ESL) classes and Parenting Towards Literacy classes to parents of children, as well as other community members with young children.