Le Prof Le Prof - TEACH Magazine

Literacy is the foundation of education.
Following are elementary and secondary
school programs that focus on developing
literacy skills in young children. These programs
can be implemented in school or at
home. Classroom Connections is a nonprofit
organization whose mandate is to
support publicly funded education.
Dog Bite Prevention
Dog Bite Prevention is a program
designed to support literacy skills and
encourage responsible and safe behavior
around dogs. Suited for Language
curriculum, Dog Bite Prevention teaches
children how to listen to stories for
information, make connections between
their own experiences and those of storybook
characters, predict outcomes,
and develop oral communication skills.
The program also enhances Personal
and Social Development curriculum by
teaching children how to identify safe
and unsafe situations, understand the
need for safety rules, seek assistance,
identify the rights and responsibilities
of themselves and others, recognize the
consequences of events and actions,
and identify how people in the community
are responsible for ensuring
safety.
Sponsored by Ralston Purina, Dog Bite
Prevention includes three resources: a
pull-out story, a teacher’s guide, and an
online resource list (www.petlookup.
c o m). The program begins by either readi
n g , or have students read, the pull-out
story, Scratch the Dog Lends a Paw.
Then a discussion of the story is initiated,
which is followed by exercises supp l i e d
in the Dog Bite Prevention booklet. T h e
program ends with activities chosen
from the booklet’s list of suggestions.
Dog Bite Prevention develops student
literacy skills through the various exercises
and activities supplied in the program
booklet.
36 teach
Scratch the Dog Lends a Paw teaches
students in grades K-3 how to act safely
around dogs. The story’s main character,
a dog named “Scratch,” goes for a
walk in the park with his owner, “Mo,”
and together they encounter other c h i ldren
and pets. Each encounter shows
children what they should and should
not do, why, and what the consequences
of their actions would be. The
story shows that dogs do not purposefully
intend to harm children, but
when scared, uncertain, seemingly
threatened, or startled by children,
dogs may growl, bite, or attack them.
Children are encouraged to stay away
from dogs they don’t know, dogs that
are sick or injured, and dogs that have
puppies with them. At the end of the
story, a list of tips on dog bite prevention
is given. Dog Bite Prevention stresses
honest communication and understandi
n g between animals and children, to
promote safety for both.
Literacy Connections
Literacy Connections is a workshop
that schools run for parents to teach
them how to read effectively with their
children at home. Presented by the
United Parcel Service of Canada,
Literacy Connections aims to improve
literacy skills in grades K-4 children by
teaching their mentors how to properly
nurture a love of reading. The workshop
runs on the hypothesis that if
children experience a positive reading
environment, they will desire to
remain within that environment,
develop a love of reading books, and
then build solid literacy skills through
continuous reading practice. The
Literacy Connections workshop is ideal
for parents who want to improve their
children’s literacy, but are not certain
of how to do it. The workshop suggests
specific actions to take and steps to
f o ll o w, as well as tips on how to
achieve the best possible interaction
between you and your child or student.
The Literacy Connections Workshop
Kit consists of a manual, instructions
for the workshop leader, blackline masters
for handouts, a sample flyer promoting
the workshop, and a video.
Literacy Connections helps families
develop skills for reading at home and
provides training for volunteers who
read to children in school. It also gives
families a chance to ask questions
about literacy. The workshop provides
models for teaching children how to
read, clarifies the role of home and
school in helping children become literate,
kindles enthusiasm in teachers
and families, motivates them to implement
reading strategies, and creates an
overall excitement and interest in reading.
Look for these programs in your element
a ry school Classroom Connections kit.
Ask your principal or librarian for
further information, contact Classroom
Connections at (416) 462-1242, or
1 -88 8-88 2-88 65, or visit w w w.
c l a s s ro o m - c o n n e c t i o n s . c o m .