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 g09Klj025252; Wed, 9 Jan 2002 15:47:45 -0500 (EST) Date: Wed, 9 Jan 2002 15:47:45 -0500 (EST) Message-Id: <a2.1ee81259.296e05f2@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:589] Re: Attitudes in schools X-Listprocessor-Version: 6.0c -- ListProcessor by Anastasios Kotsikonas X-Mailer: AOL 5.0 for Mac sub 39 Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit Content-Type: text/plain; charset="US-ASCII" Status: O Content-Length: 1689 Lines: 30 Colleen, Please don't think that your schools are the only ones in which teachers find it difficult to understand the needs of low-literacy adults. The attitudes you describe and the kinds of behavior of teachers and other staff members towards these parents is not uncommon. That reality was the basis for my questions about introducing family literacy programs in the schools and about PACT Time. There have been many excellent responses from the moderaters and practitioners which emphasize the need for education of the educators. This is not to place blame; I am a strong teacher advocate (having been one myself for many years), but I know (since I also taught at the university level) that teacher education is lacking in the preparation needed to work with parents who struggle with literacy issues. I have to admit that I once thought that parents who didn't come to Open House just didn't care. I never realized in my early years of teaching that some of the parents of my students couldn't read the notes I sent home. Shame on me, but thank goodness I had the opportunity to learn that lesson. So, it seems very necessary that the family literacy staff work in full partnership with teachers in elementary grades to enhance their understanding of our participants. The points made about custodians and cafeteria staff are also worth remembering. These staff members can encourage or discourage adult participation in family literacy programs, either by their actions or their words. They must be included in staff development efforts that are focused on preparation for parent-as-learner entry into the schools. Meta Potts Glendale, Arizona
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