The following information was provided by Taryn Miley, a former literacy bag grant winner!

Literacy Bags are thematic collections of fiction and non-fiction books, hands-on educational activities, and games.  Each of your literacy bags should contain 3 to 5 books, along with supporting materials.  Some of the books are at the student’s independent reading level, while others are meant to be read to the child as a Shared Reading Experience.  Literacy Bags extend reading across the curriculum, enriching the student’s reading experiences and enjoyment while building skills and comprehension.  Literacy Bags are not intended to replace other homework or reading activities—they are meant to supplement and enhance the basic curriculum while providing additional opportunities to acquire skills and knowledge.  

 The Literacy Bag project allows students to self-select a thematic collection of books and activities.  They keep the bag at home for several nights, allowing ample time to work with the books and materials while building reading skills, exploring math, science, and social studies concepts, and sharing enjoyable educational experiences with their families.

In Literacy at the Crossroads,  author Reggie Routman states: 

The main purpose of nightly reading is to develop the lifetime habit of reading for pleasure and information.  Nightly reading also reinforces the reading strategies and habits being developed at school and at home.  Students also learn to self-select books that are appropriate to their reading level and interests, take responsibility for reading these books and carrying them between home and school….and take proper care of their books….Students develop reading skills, vocabulary, and confidence by reading material that can be handled easily. 

 
Literacy bag projects create a vital home-school literacy link by providing home reading materials to children who do not have appropriate books available at home, allowing families to become an integral part of their child’s reading education.