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Ap p ro a c h e s
The site coordinator provided training to
mentors, the CSD designation for the
individuals who went into homes and
tutored families. We felt this name change
was important because it evoked the image of
families supported, rather than being “remediated”
or “taught,” as is implied in the word
t u t o r. M e n t o r s impart a sense of collaboration and
sharing, which is what we feel the Shared Reading Project is
really all about.
Families also attended training to understand their roles—
being committed, reading to their child daily, and maintaining
a weekly log. Eight families joined the project. Challenges
involved finding child care workers for the young children of
attending parents, finding a Spanish-speaking interpreter, and
choosing an evening. Flexibility proved to be a key to success.
Since there were some families who could not attend the
scheduled training, we offered it to them on a one-to-one basis
at a time of their choosing. Sometimes training was held in a
family home, and once it was held at a coffee shop near a parent’s
site of employment.
“How did I feel ...WONDERFUL! …I have witnessed how it has
brought families closer together with their deaf children and I saw how
they have flourished… their limited knowledge of sign language
[developed into] bubbly ASL. It was a beautiful transformation!”
—CSD mentor
Hiring—Challenges of State
Our hiring process is one of our challenges. We recruited
mentors outside of our school through short-term contracts with
the state. That was quite a challenge since our school employs a
l a rge number of its deaf community members on its staff. Deaf
mentors were critical and they are hard to find. Year after year,
we rely on recommendations given by past or current mentors
and fellow employees who “know of someone” in the area. At
one point, a presentation was made at the local
community college.
Although the mentors are intrinsically
motivated for working with families, payment is
n e c e s s a r y. As suggested in the site training, CSD
pays $20 an hour, for two hours per week per
f a m i l y, with one of the hours designated for
preparation and commuting. Unfortunately, for many
the pay is not enough to justify their time and effort. It
remains a challenge.
L o g i s t i c s
We found that forms were best understood if we created them,
modifying the samples provided in the training. A mentor binder
was created for each mentor, providing information on each
family participating in the program. These binders, returned at
the end of the program to be used again the following year,
enabled mentors to keep their paperwork in one place.
The book bags and bookmarks that were available for purchase
were another valuable component of the program. Aside from
keeping the book and videotape together, each book bag provided
tips to families on how to incorporate activities into their daily
lives. Storage was a challenge. Our site is relatively young, and
we’ve yet to find the perfect storage space here at CSD.
A way to ensure the program’s success is for the site
coordinator to observe the mentors working with their families.
The CSD site coordinator attends the first session and afterwards
the mentors work independently with the families. A mid-term
observation also enables the coordinators to see how the program
is working for the families. The coordinator provides feedback to
the mentors. The coordinator also follows up with families to
make sure they are pleased and comfortable with the individuals
who are entering their homes.
Confident in the Future
Despite the struggles and challenges, we know that the Shared
Reading Project is a successful and worthwhile endeavor.
Teachers have noticed a difference between children of families
who did and those who did not participate. Children develop an
understanding of what books are and how to read them. They
take on role playing activities and will read to their peers.
The families with whom we have worked have expressed
gratitude for learning to connect with their child. They’ve also
noted that focusing on one book at a time, with a clear
beginning and ending, builds confidence in learning American
Sign Language vocabulary and grammar. The parent-child bond
that is already present becomes stronger when mothers, fathers,
and caregivers are able to make reading come alive at home.
Often we will see the families on campus with their children,
carrying books to be read at home. It exemplifies what we hope
for: communication between child and parent and a lifetime
love of reading.
FA L L / W I N 2 0 0 6 O DY S S E Y 3 3