Abstract
Literacy skills in young children can be greatly influenced through play. An increasing amount of children spend time in after-school programs based at school sites. This time can be spent productively in play-based literacy activities that enhance and extend the knowledge learned in standards-based Kindergarten classrooms. This project offers a curriculum for playful literacy activities designed specifically for after-school care environments. Sources of Data All included activities include an alignment with California State Standards for English/Language Arts specific to Kindergarten, a stated learning objective, step-by-step directions for the activity, and a culminating assessment activity. Lessons include play-based, social, and kinesthetic activities that are designed for after-school programs. Conclusions Reached Through the implementation of this newly created curriculum, emergent readers will receive support and enhancement of the literacy learning taking place in their regular-day classrooms in a format that is hands-on, social, and playful.