New! - National Head Start Association

information (such as notices about special
events and hours of operation). You
should also arrange a family eld trip to
the library to help overcome barriers that
might otherwise prevent families from
going to the library. Keep in mind that
some parents might have transportation
issues. I’ve known many of teachers who
take parents and children on a city bus
outing to get them through the doors for
that rst time. If you live in a rural area,
nd out if there is a travelling library
program.
In a nutshell
Teaching early literacy strategies to parents
may be one of the most important things
you can do to improve a child’s chances for
success in school and life. Sharing books
is an easy, cost-e ective, and fun way to
build the parent-child relationship, encourage
healthy brain development, and
increase early literacy skills. It might take a
little — or perhaps a lot — of e ort to help
parents overcome some of the barriers to
sharing books with their children. But with
passion and commitment from teachers
and directors, book sharing can become an
exciting and enjoyable way for families to
connect with their children. You too might
nd that you have a story like the one that
follows to tell:
We had a child whose parents were
illiterate at one of our sites. e parents were
very frightened to even try to “read” to their
child and, as a result, they never did. A er
we introduced our book sharing program to
this family and their child became excited
about bringing home books, the parents
admitted their fears to their child’s teacher.
e teacher knew how to react to this
family’s issue and taught them how to tell
the story based on the pictures alone. e
teacher explained that sharing the book with
their child was the most important part, not
the actual story. e parents began telling
stories to their child from the pictures and
their con dence quickly grew. Not only did
the child bene t, the parents did as well. e
parents gained enough con dence to ask for
help; they are now enrolled in adult literacy
classes with a local agency.
— Shared by an early literacy director
in Oklahoma.
© 2008 Playworld Systems,® Inc.
Reminder: Show families that you respect
and believe in them. Maintain an atmosphere
of cooperative learning, by listening to what
they say and learning about the challenges
they face.
Fun Center.
Keeping little bodies
and minds going a
gazillion miles an hour.
The whimsical, organic designs attract kids
like magnets. The activities engage them
fully, stimulating their physical, intellectual
and social development. No wonder that on
any playground, a Fun Center is the epicenter
of exploration, discovery and excitement.
www.PlayworldSystems.com
THE MAGAZINE OF THE NATIONAL HEAD START ASSOCIATION Back-to-School 2008 CHILDREN AND FAMILIES 25