In partnership with Barbershop Books, we are evaluating the organization's program to connect literacy to a male-centered space, and to involve men in children's reading. With a mission to inspire Black boys and other vulnerable children to read for fun through child-centered, culturally responsive, and community-based programming and content, Barbershop Books built child-friendly reading spaces and brought early literacy training to barbershops. We are currently conducting a two-phase study of these spaces in Philadelphia. Our goal is to provide feedback to the leadership of the program to support the further development of the intervention in their efforts to become highly scalable and effective.

Early, positive, and culturally meaningful reading experiences cultivate children’s reading identity. When children identify as readers, they read for fun and perform better in reading.