The Role of Signage in Facilitating a Shift Toward Learning on Los Angeles Playgrounds

• In Event: Learning in the Community

Abstract

Children can develop language and literacy skills with their caregivers through interactions in informal environments such as museums, stores and playgrounds. However, caregivers may not always recognize or capitalize on these developmental opportunities available in informal contexts. Some studies have used a structural addition to the environment, signs, to facilitate caregiver-child interactions in places that are not typically considered “learning” settings. The present study aims to examine the role of signage on caregiver-child language interactions, as well as caregivers’ perceptions of the signs and the playgrounds with the signs. The study finds that more caregivers engaged in language interactions with their children on playgrounds with signs than on playgrounds without signs. Our qualitative data also indicates that caregivers perceived the playgrounds with signs as environments where both playing and learning can occur. This study suggests that signage is a promising intervention that may facilitate caregiver-child engagement and shift the conceptualization of an informal context to a learning environment.

Authors

• Cristina Michele Esposito, New York University

• Sasha Karbachinskiy, New York University

• Susan B. Neuman, New York University