Return-Path: <nifl-esl@literacy.nifl.gov> Received: from literacy (localhost [127.0.0.1]) by literacy.nifl.gov (8.10.2/8.10.2) with SMTP id h86Itw711613; Sat, 6 Sep 2003 14:55:58 -0400 (EDT) Date: Sat, 6 Sep 2003 14:55:58 -0400 (EDT) Message-Id: <001b01c3748e$eb5a7d60$9401a8c0@literacy> Errors-To: listowner@literacy.nifl.gov Reply-To: nifl-esl@literacy.nifl.gov Originator: nifl-esl@literacy.nifl.gov Sender: nifl-esl@literacy.nifl.gov Precedence: bulk From: "Holly Gensaw" <hgensaw@ncen.org> To: Multiple recipients of list <nifl-esl@literacy.nifl.gov> Subject: [NIFL-ESL:9443] RE: Illiteracy X-Listprocessor-Version: 6.0c -- ListProcessor by Anastasios Kotsikonas X-Mailer: Microsoft Outlook Express 6.00.2600.0000 Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit Content-Type: text/plain; Status: O Content-Length: 6523 Lines: 148 Ken, This is a tragic story. It brings home the point of how important our role of educators is. I am a firm beleiver in Head Start and Early Head Start programs and endeavor to spread the message of Head Start programs and others like them. We have Healthy Start in our community also. There are many people, who through poverty, lack of education and just plain ignorance do not have a clue about how to provide a nurturing environment for their children. It is through these programs that they begin to get a glimpse of healthy parenting. Our school systems are only beginning to recognize the fact that we all need to partner with each level of responsibility to begin to embrace the philosophy that Head Start programs have been actively promoting for generations. We need to look at the whole family from newborn to extended caregiver and provide the opprtunity for that whole family's need to be met in every way. This is not socialism- this is about education and equal access to those opportunities that have been the distinguishing markers of class in our society. Those basic human needs being served give us dignity and purpose are not reserved for a select few but have not been accessed by all equally.It is a sad situation to see the disparity in this country and know that it takes so little to remedy it. We know for a fact that education is cheaper than incarceration and yet the rhetoric aims us away from these social concerns by keeping us distracted with other pursuits. We have alot of wakeup calls to listen to, and this is just one of them. But when you get tired and think you're all alone out there, look around at the smiles of those you serve in your programs and realize you have lifted them up just a little by your untiring efforts. H. Gensaw ----- Original Message ----- From: "Ken Taber" <kentaber@inetgenesis.com> To: "Multiple recipients of list" <nifl-esl@literacy.nifl.gov> Sent: Saturday, September 06, 2003 12:10 AM Subject: [NIFL-ESL:9436] RE: Illiteracy > "I've heard sad stories where very young children simply couldn't understand > what their mothers said. They were cut off from communication with their > mothers at a heartbreakingly young age. This is not what we want."-Susan > > I have another sad story for you to hear. This happened at my old school in > Florida. A mother and child go into the Kindergarten Classroom the first day > of school. The mother goes to the teacher, "My child does not speak." The > teacher asks the mother, "Do you speak to your child?" The mother replied, > "No." The teacher then asked the mother, "Do you allow your child to watch > TV?" To which the mother replied, "I do not believe in TV." The child had > learned one word the week before school started. The word, "mommy." This > child was not born with any learning disability. He spent both Kindergarten > and First Grade at our school before having to go a special school for > Language. He was a fast learner and learned many words once he was spoken > to. He is still behind his peers academically. We asked his teacher how he > was doing in the 4th grade and she said he was making great progress. She > also said that most of her language students have problems because of > similar environmental issues and that they did not have any other learning > problems. We were shocked that there was even one child with this problem > but to find out there was even a small classroom of similar problems was > even more shocking. > > Literacy begins with speaking and listening. When that is lacking, progress > is hindered. We may be shocked by that story but many teachers do the same > thing when a foreign born student enters their classroom and no one speaks > to them. > > Ken Taber > kentaber@inetgenesis.com > > > ----- Original Message ----- > From: "Susan Ryan" <susanefl@hotmail.com> > To: "Multiple recipients of list" <nifl-esl@literacy.nifl.gov> > Sent: Friday, September 05, 2003 9:06 PM > Subject: [NIFL-ESL:9435] RE: Illiteracy > > > > A very complex situation, of course. > > > > > > >From: "Sylvan Rainwater" <sylvan@cccchs.org> > > >Reply-To: nifl-esl@nifl.gov > > >To: Multiple recipients of list <nifl-esl@literacy.nifl.gov> > > >Subject: [NIFL-ESL:9433] RE: Illiteracy > > >Date: Fri, 5 Sep 2003 19:42:21 -0400 (EDT) > > > > > >No, English is *not* the first language, as long as the mother or primary > > >caregiver speaks another language. Maybe I should say support the home > > >language. For a baby born in this country, it may be that both languages > > >could be the first language, home language plus English. Language > learning > > >starts at least at birth, or maybe before, with a lot of input from the > > >mother or primary caregiver. That's the first language -- the one the > child > > >is surrounded by at home. > > > > > >I've heard sad stories where very young children simply couldn't > understand > > >what their mothers said. They were cut off from communication with their > > >mothers at a heartbreakingly young age. This is not what we want. > > > > > >It is also true that too many children grow up with a rudimentary > knowledge > > >of their first language, and an incomplete knowledge of English. They are > > >barely bilingual, in a superficial way. Those folks have the same > problems > > >that low-literacy English-speakers everywhere have, with the added burden > > >of > > >being scorned or teased by their family for their low skills in the first > > >language. > > > > > >------- > > >Sylvan Rainwater mailto:sylvan@cccchs.org > > >Program Managaer Family Literacy > > >Clackamas Co. Children's Commission / Head Start > > >Oregon City, OR USA > > > > > > > > >-----Original Message----- > > >From: nifl-esl@nifl.gov [mailto:nifl-esl@nifl.gov] On Behalf Of Susan > Ryan > > >Sent: Friday, September 05, 2003 10:50 AM > > >To: Multiple recipients of list > > >Subject: [NIFL-ESL:9422] RE: Illiteracy > > > > > >The whole point is for a toddler age, English would be his first > language! > > >Although we have many languages spoken in the U.S., English is the > defining > > >language and children born into it should be first language speakers in > > >English. The other lanuage (family language spoken) would be their second > > >language. They will be bilingual in reverse of their parents' generation. > > >Susan > > > > > > > > > > _________________________________________________________________ > > Get 10MB of e-mail storage! Sign up for Hotmail Extra Storage. > > http://join.msn.com/?PAGE=features/es > > >
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