| Job Description: |
The Literacy Content Specialist will contribute significantly to the development of literacy content for the New Worlds Reading Initiative. The content should be accessible for families, and include, for example but not limited to, book-specific reading guides, scripts for videos, and other resources to assist parents in supporting their children in reading and language development. This position is based in Gainesville, Florida and is time-limited.
About our Program
The New Worlds Reading Initiative is Florida’s free at-home literacy program for students in VPK through fifth grade who are reading below grade level. Administered by the University of Florida Lastinger Center for Learning, the program delivers highquality, age-appropriate books directly to children’s homes each month during the school year, along with resources for families to support reading at home. Materials are available in English, Spanish, Haitian Creole, and braille. Since its launch in 2021, the initiative has provided millions of books to Florida students, helping children build reading skills, confidence, and a lifelong love of learning.
The University of Florida Lastinger Center for Learning’s mission is to improve the quality of teaching, learning, and childcare. We research, develop, and scale educational innovations for adults and children that put all learners on trajectories for lifelong success. Specifically, the Center targets kindergarten readiness, 3rd grade reading proficiency, and algebra proficiency as critical milestones in children's educational trajectory that are predictive of success in school and life. The Center works at the nexus of research, practice, and policy to develop sustainable systems that leverage educational technologies and improve the implementation of research-based practices. Housed in one of the nation's elite public research universities, the Center operates as a dynamic, entrepreneurial workplace focused on executing UF's service mission to strengthen the human condition and improve the quality of life. The Lastinger Center is committed to attracting, hiring, and retaining top talent by valuing a broad range of thought, skill, and experience. We believe in fostering environments where team members feel included, valued, and empowered to do their best work.
Responsibilities:
Literacy Content Development and Content and Copy Editing
- Develop, review, and refine high-quality, evidence-based literacy content for children, caregivers, and families in partnership with Lastinger Center associates.
- Lead and support the creation of literacy materials, including multimedia assets and family-facing resources that reflect current research and best practices.
- Design content that supports both asynchronous and synchronous learning experiences for families and caregivers including video and digital resources as appropriate.
- Consult disaggregated data to inform literacy level, language access, responsiveness, and implementation considerations.
- Collaborate with associates to engage families, educators, and partners to identify needs and inform the design of projects, products, and services.
- Refine and align content to ensure developmental appropriateness, adherence to templates, scope of work, and program goals.
- Infuse adult learning strategies into materials and clearly articulate the evidence base supporting selected materials, programs, and instructional strategies.
- Review content created for caregivers, children, and partners; provide substantive content feedback and copy editing for clarity, accuracy, and quality assurance in English and/or Spanish, as assigned.
- Apply best practices in instructional design and translation; provide feedback aligned to current literacy and learning science research.
- Ensure content alignment with desired outcomes, APA guidelines (as appropriate), and organizational standards.
- Adhere to established schedules and deadlines while maintaining high standards for quality and consistency.
Collaboration
- Collaborate across teams and projects to support aligned, high-quality content development and implementation.
- Participate in regular cross-team meetings to share progress, align materials, support asset development, and plan next steps for active and future projects.
- Attend meetings and focus groups, including those held statewide, to inform content development needs, priorities, and continuous improvement.
- Maintain consistent communication with the New Worlds Reading Initiative team and other project teams to support coordination and alignment.
- Consult with project specialists, content writers, translators, and graphic designers to enhance assets created for children and caregivers.
- Engage in established workflow processes to support the translation, review, editing, and completion of content.
- Communicate across project teams to ensure content revisions, improvements, and decisions are clearly documented and addressed.
- Attend meetings, professional development opportunities, and other required convenings to support role responsibilities.
Logistical Support
- Support the ongoing curation of the book list to ensure alignment with grade-level expectations, genres, diversity and interest areas.
- Troubleshoot challenges and address them as they arise; coordinate with other associates providing implementation support to ensure consistency and effective communication structures
- Support with the creation of materials for marketing, recruitment and project communications in collaboration with other Lastinger Center teams.
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