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 g46HNtu02460; Mon, 6 May 2002 13:23:55 -0400 (EDT) Date: Mon, 6 May 2002 13:23:55 -0400 (EDT) Message-Id: <NFBBIFMBEGGIHHPCDDKCKEKCCFAA.tracie_lit@riverside.lib.ca.us> 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: "Tracie Janis" <tracie_lit@riverside.lib.ca.us> To: Multiple recipients of list <nifl-family@literacy.nifl.gov> Subject: [NIFL-FAMILY:1079] Re: Parents as first teachers X-Listprocessor-Version: 6.0c -- ListProcessor by Anastasios Kotsikonas X-Mailer: Microsoft Outlook IMO, Build 9.0.2416 (9.0.2911.0) Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit Content-Type: text/plain; Status: O Content-Length: 3057 Lines: 82 Colleen, I agree with you. When my oldest started kindergarten, my husband I attended the kindergarten orientation for parents. I was not impressed. The principal basically took the time to review the kindergarten standards. Everyone there had a blank look on their faces, including myself. He then proceeded to hand out the standards and I thought to myself, I'm sure these parents have no clue what these standards mean, let alone have the ability to read them. It wasn't a great experience and I didn't feel I had been "oriented" at all. During our intake process with our parents, we discuss comfort level of parents involvement with their children's schools. Many of them are terrified and have had awful experiences themselves that they are very reluctant to get involved. I too am a mother of three children, all under the age of 8. I am very sympathetic to our family literacy parents. I think that an orientation is a great approach. In my job as Adult Literacy Coordinator, I try to meet the needs of our students in a variety of ways. We have held parenting workshops here at the library and our parents are relieved that they have a forum to share their frustrations and also have the opportunity to learn some new skills. Tracie Tracie Janis, Literacy Program Coordinator Riverside County Library Adult Literacy Program Literacy Program Headquarters 9244 Galena St Riverside, CA 92509 (909) 685-6901 Fax (909)685-3856 tracie_lit@riverside.lib.ca.us <mailto:tracie_lit@riverside.lib.ca.us> http://www.riverside.lib.ca.us/literacy "Tutors Change the World One Student at a Time" -----Original Message----- From: nifl-family@nifl.gov [mailto:nifl-family@nifl.gov]On Behalf Of Colleen Angaiak Sent: Friday, May 03, 2002 11:24 AM To: Multiple recipients of list Subject: [NIFL-FAMILY:1076] Re: Parents as first teachers I think in some cases "training" is a good idea, although is that word too harsh? Orientation maybe? Anyway, some of the parents are first-time parents, these are their oldest children. They have not been in a school setting for many years. A reminder of how to act in the schools is a good idea. Additionally, many parents in family literacy programs have had very negative experiences with schools themselves. Many express aprehension or even fear about their child's school. This training or orientation is a first step towards having a parent be more comfortable in the school setting. Just throwing them in the classroom might not be the wisest way to go about it. And while the kids are just "ankle biters" (a rude way of putting it, in my opionion as an educator and a mother of three children under the age of 7), not all parents are well-equipped to be around children, especially a room of 20 - 30 of them. ===== Colleen Angaiak Even Start Coordinator Literacy Council of Alaska 1949 Gillam Way Fairbanks, AK 99709 Phone: 907/456-5013 Fax: 907/456-1657 __________________________________________________ Do You Yahoo!? Yahoo! Health - your guide to health and wellness http://health.yahoo.com
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