Return-Path: <nifl-family@literacy.nifl.gov> Received: from literacy (localhost [127.0.0.1]) by literacy.nifl.gov (8.10.2/8.10.2) with SMTP id g3QHZou20092; Fri, 26 Apr 2002 13:35:50 -0400 (EDT) Date: Fri, 26 Apr 2002 13:35:50 -0400 (EDT) Message-Id: <124.fcc22de.29fae8c3@aol.com> Errors-To: listowner@literacy.nifl.gov Reply-To: nifl-family@literacy.nifl.gov Originator: nifl-family@literacy.nifl.gov Sender: nifl-family@literacy.nifl.gov Precedence: bulk From: MWPotts2001@aol.com To: Multiple recipients of list <nifl-family@literacy.nifl.gov> Subject: [NIFL-FAMILY:1021] Re: Parents as first teachers X-Listprocessor-Version: 6.0c -- ListProcessor by Anastasios Kotsikonas Content-Transfer-Encoding: 8bit X-Mailer: AOL 5.0 for Mac sub 39 Content-Type: text/plain; charset="UTF-8" Status: O Content-Length: 3066 Lines: 55 Tracie wrote: --The parents in our family literacy program have shared with me that they would love to be able to do more at their child's school, but feel intimidated by the school environment. -- Unfortunately, Tracie, this is not uncommon. But may I share a happier story? Just recently, the school in which I have been working with third grade teachers on reading and writing projects was named an A plus elementary school, one of 5 in the greater Phoenix area. An outstanding accomplishment. This school is in a district with 3,400 parent and community member volunteers serving 33 schools, which employ 3,300 professionals. Parental involvement is a primary goal, and it is pursued with vigor. Parents are invited to a welcoming reception in the fall, where their pictures are taken and attached to a name tag to be worn on a neck lariat just like the teachers in the schools. While this is a security issue, it is also a subtle message, which says that parents are considered part of the staff. Schools don’t wait for parents to come to them; they issue invitations with ideas and suggestions regarding how parents and others might become involved, such as -- Would like to read to children in the library or in classrooms? Would you like to listen to children read? Would you like to record books on tape? Would you like to take dictation from a kindergartner? Would you like to partner with a 1st, 2nd, or 3rd grader in dialogic reading activities or partner with a 5th or 6th grader reading books and writing dialogue journals about those books? Parents attend workshops where they get tips on how to participate in these activities. Parent volunteers are invited to a winter holiday festival, and they eat lunch with the teachers in their lounge. Parent volunteers attend a spring garden party where they are the guests of honor and served by the school staff members. Everyday, I see at least one parent at every table in the cafeteria, eating lunch with children. Some of these are Even Start parents, but most are not. I watch parents stacking books on library shelves and running the Xerox machine in the workroom. Principals have to turn away parents who want to accompany children on field trips when the busses won’t hold any more people. Fathers who work the late shift come to school to play softball with their children in the morning and teach lessons on care of equipment. The teacher with whom I work names a student of the week, and that student’s parents are invited to the classroom to share pictures and tell stories about their family. Even ESOL parents have participated, comfortable and uninhibited by their lack of English skills. The creative Mrs. L. has a take your parent to school plan. No wonder she records an unbelievable number of parental involvement hours each year. It saddens me to note that the next district over recorded less than 3 hours of parental involvement per class this year. What do you think makes the difference? Meta Potts Glendale, Arizona
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