SAVANNAH, Ga. (WSAV) — Two Georgia Southern University (GSU) professors have been awarded a $50,000 grant for early literacy development.
On Tuesday, Feb. 18, GSU announced that Professors Sally Brown, Ph.D., and Alison Leckie, Ph.D., had been awarded the Research Grant Initiative for Implementation Research to Improve Early Language and Literacy Outcomes by the Sandra Dunagan Deal Center for Early Language and Literacy at Georgia College & State University.
Brown and Leckie's new program, PAGES+ Literacy Initiative: Parents and Generations Engaging Through Stories and Language, seeks to engage families through early literacy development.
According to GSU, the PAGES+ Literacy Initiative will include educators, community leaders and education students from local universities to lead reading groups in public libraries, churches and other community spaces in the Savannah and Chatham County area.
Brown and Leckie's goal through these reading rooms is to enhance literacy in the key developmental window for children up to 5 years old, and to educate families on how they can establish their own reading practices and connect them with other readers.
“Think about language as nutrition for the brain as much as food is nutrition for the body,” Leckie said. “We need to give our kids language nutrition so their brains grow and develop. They need exposure to lots of language and experiences that connect words and objects.”
Funding will support the collaboration of 30 community leaders and teachers from GSU, Savannah Technical College (STC) and Savannah State University (SSU) for three semesters.
30 education students will also be supported and thereby given the opportunity to gain practical experience from interacting with young learners and their parents as they prepare to enter the teaching profession after graduation. The grant will also cover the cost of developing training materials and books.
“I’m so proud of Drs. Brown and Leckie and their groundbreaking work to improve early language and literacy outcomes,” said Amy Lingo, Ph.D., dean of the College of Education. “This grant will not only advance critical research in early literacy but also create tangible impacts within our University and the broader community. By advancing early language and literacy development, their work will help bridge educational gaps and empower young learners with a foundation for lifelong success. This initiative aligns with our mission to foster excellence in education while elevating our community, and we look forward to the transformative outcomes their research will bring.”