Doodle Den is an after-school literacy programme targeted at children aged 5 to 6 years of age in Senior Infants. It offers a programme that is activity based and incorporates literacy learning opportunities through games, art, drama and PE activities as well as a more traditional approach to teaching literacy.
The Dublin 1&7 School Completion Programme are responsible for the coordination of the Doodle Den Programme in our area. It is run in four local primary schools by 20 staff, with 60 children participating.
Doodle Den runs for the academic year and sessions are delivered three times a week for 90 minutes each. Parents/carers attend six sessions per year and there are also three family sessions.
The programme has been found to not only improve children’s literacy, but also their school attendance, family library use, family reading and children’s social skills.
Children can visit the Doodle Den website to find fun activities to try at home. Click on the picture below:
The video below, from CDI Tallaght, explains more about the Doodle Den programme:
Evaluation
Doodle Den was evaluated by a team from Queen’s University in Belfast. The team used a randomised controlled trial in which children who received Doodle Den were compared with similar children who had not attended the sessions. The evaluation team used standardised tools like the Drumcondra Test to measure the children’s literacy ability, as well as carrying out interviews with children, parents and carers, principals, teachers, library staff and the Doodle Den facilitators. The team found that participation in the Doodle Den programme led to:
- Improvements in the children’s overall literacy with particular gains seen in sentence structure, word choice and word recognition
- Improvements in concentration
- Reduction in problem behaviours in school
- Increased literacy activity in the home
- Increased family library use.
Further Information
Coordination: Dublin 1 & 7 School Completion Programme
Contact: Martha Matthews (SCP) T: 086 703 7979
Email: dublin7doodleden@gmail.com
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