Supporting Early Literacy and English Learners in Makerspace Programs
Abstract: Makerspaces learning environments engages participants in hands-on approaches and can serve to facilitate multisensory experiences to meet needs of diverse learners as well as struggling readers. Activities and outcomes incorporating a makerspace project-based learning process is described to assist with developing early literacy skill sets for struggling readers and English language learners to include oral language, phonemic and phonological awareness, orthographic knowledge, fluency, vocabulary, comprehension, and composition in primary environments. The intent of this resource is to provide a platform in which teachers can build confidence in designing multisensory lessons that incorporate both a low-tech and high-tech approach into practice.