Expanding the Promise of NYC Reads: The Early Literacy Design Sprint Takes Shape

LINC is proud to play a key role in shaping the future of early literacy in New York City. Working alongside the Center for Public Research & Leadership, the NYC Department of Early Education, and Dr. Alan L. Mendelsohn (NYU Grossman School of Medicine, NYC Health + Hospitals, Founding Director and Principal Investigator of PlayReadVIP), among other literacy advocates, we are expanding the promise of NYC Reads.

Now, with the Early Childhood Design Sprint, NYC Reads is turning their attention to the first five years of life—where reading readiness truly begins, and where LINC’s expertise lies. This focus on early childhood is an essential step toward achieving NYC Reads’ goal that all school-aged children in New York City will be fully literate by 2035.

What Is the Design Sprint About?

• Building system-level support: The ultimate objective of the Design Sprint is for early literacy supports to become as prominent and accessible for families as the curricula and structures already in place across NYC public schools.

• Starting right from the start: We’re designing a set of readiness activities that help caregivers nurture literacy in everyday life—designed around proven practices that build vocabulary, letter recognition, phonological awareness, and other early literacy benchmarks.

• Defining readiness together: What does it mean to be “ready to read”—not reading already, but arriving at kindergarten with skills on track for 3 and 4-year-olds? We’re aligning on that destination as a community.

• Centering voices and relationships: The sprint so far has included voices from city agencies, researchers, and nonprofits. In the spring, our next sessions will bring in more parents, caregivers, and neighborhood organizations to deepen that foundation.

We are collaboratively designing a system in which families are met where they are, supported in ways that reflect their lives, languages, and routines. Even with possible shifts in leadership at City Hall, LINC’s dedication to expanding and delivering on the goals of NYC Reads will remain steadfast. That commitment is matched by a citywide momentum around early literacy and a shared belief that every child deserves a strong foundation for success. Together with our partners, we are ensuring that the promise of NYC Reads extends to the very first years of life.

What’s Next?

Keep an eye out this spring as borough-level sessions convene, bringing families and community organizations into the room. Over time, you’ll hear about pilots, developmentally staged activities for caregivers, and a clearer vision for what readiness looks like in the earliest years.

For more information or to participate in NYC Reads’ Early Childhood Design Sprint in your borough, please contact LINC’s Deputy Executive Director, Eliana Godoy at egodoy@lincnyc.org.