Barbershop Books: Increasing Book Access and Out-of-School Time Reading Among Black Boys

Thursday February 6, 2020
10:00 - 10:45 AM
A313/314

*VIDEO NOT AVAILABLE FOR THIS SESSION*

Barbershop Books, winner of National Book Foundation’s Innovations in Reading Prize, creates child-friendly reading spaces in barbershops and provides early literacy training to barbers. Over the past six years, Barbershop Books has identified and tested best practices for cultivating Black boys’ intrinsic motivation to read. This lecture will examine how Barbershop Books works with system leaders, Title I directors, and school administrators to 1) engage parents and communities about early literacy, 2) improve children’s access to developmentally appropriate and culturally relevant books, and 3) increase out-of-school time reading among Black boys. Barbershop Books’ low cost, high impact, and culturally responsive approach to supporting early literacy has a direct, immediate, and ongoing positive impact on the reading habits of children and caregivers at participating barbershops.

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Presenters
Alvin Irby

Alvin Irby is a former kindergarten teacher turned award-winning social entrepreneur, comedian, and author. As Founder of Barbershop Books, he has inspired communities across America to promote reading in barbershops. Irby’s TED Talk has received over 1 million views and his funny children’s book, Gross Greg, has garnered stellar reviews. As a cultural competency specialist, he provides professional development to school districts, library systems, and education organizations. Irby’s nationally recognized keynotes and workshops help educators better understand and nurture children’s intrinsic motivation to learn. Alvin Irby holds an M.S. in Childhood Education from Bank Street Graduate School and an MPA in Public and Nonprofit Management and Policy from New York University.
Type:
Lecture
Theme:
leadership
Audience:
classroom leaders
Categories:
early childhood education