In order to focus on early literacy, I conducted interviews with a 2nd grade teacher at a local school and the retired district librarian for our town's school district. Both have a vested interest in early literacy and have developed programs within our town to promote literacy among children and families.
I asked them about early childhood issues in general and they cited social-emotional concerns, poverty, obesity, and attention deficits as struggles they saw with their young students. When we focused on early literacy, both the teacher and the librarian had similar areas of concern and interest. One area they stressed was family literacy. The teacher said many parents have come to her asking what they can do to help their chid become a better reader and she feels many parents are at a loss for just how they can help their children. Another area for concern is lack of resources. The lack of resources consists not only of materials such as books and programs but also human resources in the schools. Going back to family literacy--many families lack age appropriate books for their children to read at home as well. The third topic which was brought up by the two women is the lack of time children get to spend reading. During the school day, there is a push for targeted interventions that teach decoding skills and comprehension (which are of course important) but many students lack real time with books. Also, many students are not reading at home. With so many playing video games all night, the 2nd grade teacher says many of her struggling readers are not getting the practice they need.
From my interviews I feel that family literacy is an area in which I want to focus. Our town is about 50% low income. The teacher said that this is an area that is a dire need for our town as even some parents struggle with illiteracy and speaking English. Particulary, I would like to focus on how to increase literacy in children before they start school, provide resources to parents who have school age children, and provide literacy opportunities for families to participate in together.
Some questions to consider:
- How can we reach children who are not in a daycare or state sponsored program before they start school?
- What kinds of literacy opportunities can families participate in together?
- What kinds of resources would be most helpful to families in the area of early literacy?
Hi, your interview sounded really informative and addressed many "real" issues teacher's are dealing with their student's. Children either need to be read to and/or read on a daily basis. It should be an awarding habit they adapt from a very early age. It saddens me when I even hear about adults who do not like to read. And I believe if a parent does not like to read they will not encourage their child to do so. One way a child learns is through what the imitate their parent or caregiver is doing on a daily basis.
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