Welcome to Kindergarten LEAP (Literacy Education at Play)! 

Laundry in the Library? Pizza and Picture Books?  Play is essential to developing literacy and social skills but has almost disappeared from classrooms. LEAP is a program that engages children in meaningful play, weaving literacy with social interaction by building on real-world experiences.

Kindergarten LEAP is an exciting program funded by Foundation 65 and developed and supported by the Evanston Public Library that is being implemented in seven Evanston/Skokie District 65 schools.  The purpose of the program is to blend literacy skills into play. In doing so, students are able to expand their vocabulary, tell stories, follow sequences, and appreciate read and writing as connected to their everyday world, all of which are important steps on the road to reading!

The program begins in the library, where as a class, the students draw on their experiences to explore what they know about a topic and learn new vocabulary.  In the following sessions, a “script” or sequence is modeled for the students, who are then asked to use what they have learned to play together with materials that mimic real-life objects.  During all of this, the students also connect the experience to stories and books.  After playing in the library, the students then expand on the play as the materials move into the classroom.

The program was originally developed by the Evanston Public Library as an outreach program for Evanston preschool programs.