Mayor’s Office The New York City Department of Education The New York City Housing Authority

NEW YORK CITY

Early Literacy Learning

Investing in children from birth to age three is the only way to ensure that every child has the opportunity to reach his or her potential. — The United Nations Children’s Fund

Michael R. Bloomberg Mayor, City of New York

Dennis M. Walcott Deputy Mayor for Policy

The New York City Department of Education

The New York City Housing Authority

Joel I. Klein Chancellor

Tino Hernandez Chairman

Carmen Fariña Deputy Chancellor for Teaching and Learning

Earl Andrews, Jr. Vice-Chairman JoAnna Aniello Member

Laura Kotch Executive Director Curriculum and Professional Development

Vilma Huertas Secretary

Eleanor Greig Ukoli Director Office of Early Childhood Education

Douglas Apple General Manager

Copyright 2005 By the Department of Education of the City of New York

Application for permission to reprint any section of this material should be made to the Chancellor, 52 Chambers Street, New York, NY 10007. Reprint of any section of these materials shall carry the line: “Reprinted from New York City Early Literacy Learning by permission of the New York City Department of Education.”

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Acknowledgements Roger Scotland, Office of the Mayor

The New York City Early Literacy Learning, (NYCELL) was created based on the educational vision and insight of Mayor Michael R. Bloomberg, Chancellor Klein, and Tino Hernandez, Chairman of the New York City Housing Authority. Dennis Walcott, Deputy Mayor for Policy provided general oversight of the Project design. Carmen Fariña, Deputy Chancellor for Teaching and Learning conceptualized the instructional framework based on the Children First initiative and the New York City Primary Literacy Standards.

Zachary Smith, Deputy Chief of Staff, Office of the Mayor Hugh Spence, Deputy General Manager for Community Operations, New York City Housing Authority Kim Suttell, Director of Program Development, Literacy, Inc. Deborah Taylor, Director of Citywide Education Youth Services, Office of the Mayor

We extend our sincere appreciation to the Planning Committee members whose guidance shaped New York City Early Literacy Learning.

Margaret Tice, Coordinator, Children’s Services, New York Public Library

Kay Cassell, Associate Director for Collections and Services, New York Public Library

Dr. Eleanor Greig Ukoli, Director of the Office of Early Childhood Education, Department of Education

Stacey Cumberbatch, Chief of Staff, New York City Housing Authority

Richard Fish, Special Advisor to the Deputy Commissioner for Community Development, Department of Youth and Community Development

The NYCELL curriculum was produced under the auspices of Laura Kotch, the Executive Director of Curriculum and Professional Development. Dr. Eleanor Greig Ukoli, Director of Early Childhood Education in the Division of Teaching and Learning provided the overall supervision and the organization of the instructional content.

Bert Flugman, Director, Center for Advanced Study in Education, City University of New York Graduate Center

We extend our sincere appreciation to the outstanding contributors who shared their talents and expertise to create the NYCELL curriculum.

Alan Gartner, Chief of Staff, Office of the Mayor

Kathleen A. Burgess, Education Administrator, Office of Early Childhood Education

Kathleen Degyansky, Queens Public Library

Laura Kotch, Executive Director of Curriculum and Professional Development, Department of Education

Paulette Coleman, Educational Consultant, Even Start

Ernesto Lozano, Director, Citywide Programs, New York City Housing Authority

Laurel O. Fraser, Deputy Director, Office of Early Childhood Education

Maureen O’Connor, Director of Programs and Services, Queens Public Library

Jama Gibbs Jackson, Deputy Director of Development, Office of Strategic Partnerships

Rachel Payne, Coordinator of Pre-School Services, Brooklyn Public Library

Andrée Lessey, Education Administrator, Office of Early Childhood Education

Gitte Peng, Educational Policy Advisor, Office of the Mayor

Lynda Nicolas, Citywide NYCELL Coordinator, Office of Early Childhood Education

Michelle Pinnock, Assistant Deputy General Manager, Community Operations, New York City Housing Authority

Eleanor H. Riley, Early Childhood Educational Consultant Michelle Springer, Research Assistant, Office of Early Childhood Education

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The generous donations of the vendors who have continuously supported the early childhood community of New York City helped to make New York City Early Literacy Learning a reality. The vendors provided all of the furniture and the educational resources. Bill Baron Regional Manager Lakeshore Mariana Fitzpatrick Corporate Sales Manager Border Books Becky Fox Northeastern Sales Manager Kaplan Early Learning Company Carol Long Director of Educational Programs Barclays School Supplies Jean Potts Account Manager Community Playthings Karen Proctor Vice President Community and Government Affairs Scholastic Sonny Thal Educational Consultant Childcraft Educational Corporation

Speical acknowledgements are extended to Nancy Pike, Early Childhood Coordinator, Region 1, for the photographs. This publication was produced by the Office of Instruction Publications, Christopher Sgarro, Director; design and layout by Tobey Hartman.

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New York City Early Literacy Learning INTRODUCTION

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Philosophy The NYCELL philosophy promotes early literacy skills in young children by developing the interaction between parent and child. All children benefit from early exposure to a stimulating learning environment that includes meaningful, literacy-rich experiences. Based on high quality, developmentally appropriate practice that acknowledges and celebrates diversity, the program nurtures social, emotional, physical, creative expression/aesthetic, and cognitive development including oral language and early literacy skills.

Background Information While many factors influence a child’s development and academic success, researchers and practitioners agree that early exposure to books and story-time builds critical language skills. With literacy learning shown to begin in infancy, parents are central to the early development of reading and writing skills of their children. Parents who know how to help their children develop these skills are able to support their children in the early years and beyond. Unfortunately, not all parents know the importance of reading to their young children or have the skills to engage them in activities that support literacy learning. Many parents need to know how to choose age-appropriate books and/or provide the resources to access them. Low-income and at-risk families are particularly challenged. As the New York City Department of Education (DOE) invests in improving the education for all of its 1.1 million students, we are also concerned about the readiness of our students to enter and thrive in our schools. Through a partnership of the Mayor’s Office, the DOE, and the New York City Housing Authority (NYCHA), a collaborative program has begun to ensure that more of New York City’s most at-risk children enter kindergarten with the language, cognitive, and early reading skills they need for success. Exposing children to these activities at an early age helps to prepare them to thrive in school and in life.

The Need Many children living in New York City are at risk of academic difficulties that may affect their entire education. Research findings are consistent in demonstrating that the more a child knows about language and literacy before they begin school, the better equipped they are for reading (Burns, Griffin, and Snow, 1999). Research conducted by Dr. Connie Juel at the University of Virginia found that first graders who were not on grade level by the end of the year had only a one in eight chance of ever achieving grade level reading proficiency without extraordinary efforts. Children born into poverty are particularly at risk, with reading test scores well below average. In fact, only 16% of children in low-income families score in the upper range, while 50% of children from the most affluent families score in that same upper range (Gershoof, E., 2003) While all parents want what is best for their children, parents also need the knowledge and skills to ensure their children enter school prepared to succeed. Engaging families in the reading process requires an environment that encourages reading and other interactive experiences. Unfortunately, many of our New York City families have neither the supports nor the resources to create this environment. Those at particular risk are living in public housing. Just over 33% of the population are minors under age 18, and just over 40% of the families are working.

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The Program Children learn best by doing and through direct interactions with their environment. They strive for independence by wanting to do things for themselves. Using current research that validates literacy skills and the beneficial effects of play on cognitive development, NYCELL will: • Promote the development of non-cognitive factors that are essential for learning, such as emotional self-regulation. • Strengthen the child’s physical development, including muscle development, and coordination (Zigler and Bishop-Josef, 2004). • Contribute to the development of social skills, such as empathy, self-confidence, motivation, turn taking, and following rules. • Enhance language, problem solving, representational skills, memory, and creativity. New York City Early Literacy Learning (NYCELL) was created in January 2005 to address the early literacy needs of its future students in those critical years. NYCELL provides parents and their children, ages one to three-years-and-nine-months, with reading readiness experiences. The program focuses on developing speaking and listening skills that support pre-reading and pre-writing development. The program aims to: (1) provide early exposure to a stimulating learning environment that includes meaningful, literacy-rich experiences; and (2) develop and expand interactions between parent and child. The ultimate goal of NYCELL is to give young children the skills they need to become active and engaged learners by the time they enter school. Within this context the program will: • Provide high quality adult/child interactions. • Support parent efforts to enhance early language and literacy development using strategies that are founded on scientifically based reading research. These developmentally, age-appropriate activities include: 1. Rhymes, finger plays and songs (phonological awareness) 2. Read-alouds (print awareness) 3. Meaningful conversations (oral language) 4. Letter and name puzzles (knowledge about the alphabet) • • • •

Create language and literacy rich environments. Help parents enhance their parenting style. Empower parents in their parenting decisions. Connect families to available community resources such as libraries, Adult Basic Education, English Language Learners programs, and other social service agencies The environment is designed so that the children are exposed to experiences that strengthen and nurture their physical, social-emotional, creative expression/aesthetic, and cognitive development. In addition, English Language Learners are provided with opportunities to acquire a second language while their primary language is strengthened. In order to accomplish this, the Family Literacy Associates will: • Create an environment that respects and celebrates the first language of the family. • Maximize the children’s ability to communicate naturally. • Provide appropriate language acquisition strategies and opportunities for parents and children. • Provide opportunities for children to sing or respond to predictable or rhyming books. 3

• Promote strategies designed to extend conversations such as telling stories and asking open-ended questions. • Provide frequent opportunities for families to engage in literacy activities, such as re-enacting stories. Participants will receive two hours of programming twice per week, over a 12-week cycle. A series of curriculum-based activities are employed, including: songs, read-alouds, interactive discussion/activities, and read-alongs. Activities are carefully selected to be developmentally appropriate. Attention is also paid to acknowledging and celebrating diversity. The program also teaches and encourages a range of activities for parents and children to engage in at home, and encourages parents to share their engagement. These activities include reading time, help with chores, finger plays, conversation, singing, identifying print/street signs, name recognition, and many others. Families receive books, toys, and other learning materials that promote communication and early literacy skills. Alongside these learning experiences and sharing of resources, NYCELL provides a bridge to prekindergarten and arranges parent/child visits to schools for children reaching the eligibility age. The program currently operates in all five boroughs in selected New York City Housing Authority Community Centers. The program is open to residents of the housing complex and surrounding neighborhoods. Outreach to families is conducted throughout the housing complex and surrounding neighborhoods using print flyers and word-of-mouth. The program has attracted parents and children who speak multiple languages.

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New York City Early Literacy Learning Activities TIME

20 minutes

30 minutes

TIME FOR: Welcome

• Finger plays, nursery rhymes, the welcome song, story time. Interactive Discussion: Parents and Family Literacy Associate

Small Group Session: Child and Family Literacy Associate

Family Literacy Associate to provide Message of the Day through talking points.

Family Literacy Associate to provide learning experiences through:

To achieve objective, delivery must be:

• Book sharing.

• Informal.

• Table toys.

• Visual.

• Blocks, puzzles.

• Designed to highlight the “Teachable Moment.”

• Play dough. • Dramatic play. • Art. • Healthy snacks. Activities are aligned with the Message of the Day.

Parent and Child Interactive Literacy Activity

Activities are based on the conversations that the parents had with the Family Literacy Associate and the activities that were provided for the children. Some of these include:

30 minutes

• Gross Motor Activities: balance beams, big balls, climbing stairs. • Small Motor Activities: collage, puppet making, drawing • Congnition: book sharing, playing with manipulatives. • Social-Emotional: Interacting with others.

25 minutes

Clean-up and Closing Activity

• Parents, children, and staff participate in the closing activities. • Finger plays, nursery rhymes, a story, lending library, and the farewell song. At-Home Activity

15 minutes

Family Literacy Associates to lead discussion on the “teachable moment” of the day. Parents discuss the day’s session. • Based on the Message of the Day, the Family Literacy Associate will talk about the activity parents and their children are to engage in at home. • Parents and children are provided with an instructional toy, activity, or book to take home.

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New York City Early Literacy Learning CURRICULUM

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You Are Your Child’s First Teacher! How Does My Child Grow and Learn? The most important aspect of parent talk is the amount of parent talk. Parents who just talk as they go about their daily activities expose their children to 1,000 to 2,000 words every hour. —Hart and Risley

Week 1 Session 1 TIME

TIME FOR: Welcome

The Family Literacy Associate welcomes each parent and child to the session, and greet them as they enter. The Family Literacy Associates:

20 minutes

• Invite parents to introduce themselves and their children. As each child is introduced, the Family Literacy Associates sing a printed song to welcome that child to the program. Parents and children are invited to join in. • Invite each parent to share something special about his or her child. • Introduce the group attendance chart. • Read a story and use a displayed nursery rhyme, finger play, and/or song to engage the children and parents in reciting. • Introduce the parents and children to the children’s play area. Interactive Discussion: Parents and Family Literacy Associate

Small Group Session: Child and Family Literacy Associate

Expected Outcomes For Week 1 Session 1

The Family Literacy Associate: • Encourages the children to select their own activities.

Parents will better understand: • How language develops. • How they can support the literacy growth and development of their children. The Family Literacy Associate will:

30 minutes

• Engage the parents in an activity through which they discover the conditions that promote learning. (Cambourne, Conditions of Learning) • Engage the parents in an activity around the typical development of language from birth to four years old. • Engage the parents in an appropriate discussion on how children learn language. • Share a list of strategies that parents can use to support the literacy growth and development of their children. • Introduce information on the photo journal and disposable cameras; discuss the pictures that parents will be asked to take of their children in the weeks to come.

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• Talks with the children as they explore and become familiar with the materials and activities. • Takes pictures of the children as they engage in activities throughout the program when appropriate. These pictures will be used by the Family Literacy Associate to develop the group photo journal. This album will be shared with the families during the final session of program.

Interactive Literacy Activity

30 minutes

Parents interact with their children in the children’s area. The Family Literacy Associates support the parents as they notice that their children are capable of doing many things. Parents are reminded of the conditions that support learning. As the Interactive Literacy Activity ends, the Family Literacy Associates: • Encourage parents to ask clarifying questions. • Provide parents with a list of activities that they can use to encourage their children to develop language skills. Clean-up and Closing Activity

• Parents, children, and staff sing the clean-up song.

25 minutes

• The children participate in the clean-up process. • One Family Literacy Associate reads a story. • Parents, children, and staff sing the goodbye song. • Parents and children have the opportunity to borrow books from the Lending Library. At-Home Activity

15 minutes

The Family Literacy Associates provide the parents with a copy of the week’s nursery rhyme and finger play to recite with their children at home.

Suggested books: Dyer, Jane. (1986). Random House Books for Young Readers. Moo, Moo Peek-a-Boo! Fox, Mem. (1993). Gulliver Books. Time for Bed. Murphy, Mary. (1997). Egmont Books. I Like It When.

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You Are Your Child’s First Teacher! How Does My Child Grow and Learn? To grasp a real understanding of the world around him, a child must observe, handle, play with, and experiment with the many things in his environment. —J. Piaget

Week 1 Session 2 TIME

TIME FOR: Welcome

20 minutes

Parents and children engage in the attendance chart activity as they enter. The Family Literacy Associates welcome each parent and child. The session begins with a welcome song to greet each child. One Family Literacy Associate reads a story, and engages the children and the parents in the nursery rhyme, finger play, and/or song. The other Family Literacy Associate assists in these activities. Interactive Discussion: Parent and Family Literacy Associate

Small Group Session: Child and Family Literacy Associate

Parents share their experiences with the at-home activity from the previous session.

The Family Literacy Associate:

Expected Outcomes For Week 1, Session 2 Parents will better understand that: • Rapid brain development occurs during children’s very early years. • By engaging in sensory experiences with their children they can support brain development. The Family Literacy Associate will:

30 minutes

• Display a picture of the brain and engage the parents in an open-ended discussion on the brain. • Invite the parents to engage in a true/false activity about the brain. • Show a pictorial representation of the brain at one month and at six years. • Engage the parents in a discussion about the rapid brain development that occurs early in life. • Give parents an opportunity to participate in a variety of sensory experiences that will help them understand learning through the senses. Continued on next page.

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• Encourages the children to select their own activities. • Encourages the children as they use their senses to explore, and become familiar with the materials and activities. • Talks with the children about how things in the play area look, feel, smell, sound, and taste, e.g. snack.

Interactive Discussion: Parent and Family Literacy Associate continued

• Help the parents understand that brain development and learning occur as children use their five senses. • Discuss a number of ways parents can support brain growth. (Brain Fact, Diamond, M. and Hopson, J. (1998); Parents Are Teachers Too, Claudia Jones (1988). Interactive Literacy Activity

30 minutes

Parents interact with their children in the children’s area. The Family Literacy Associates support the parents as they notice that the children are learning by using their senses. Parents support their children’s play and learning by providing positive reinforcement. As the Interactive Literacy Activity ends, the Family Literacy Associates: • Encourage parents to ask clarifying questions. • Provide parents with a list of activities that they can use to support their children as they develop language skills through the use of their five senses. Clean-up and Closing Activity

• Parents, children, and staff sing the clean up song.

25 minutes

• The children participate in the clean-up process. • One Family Literacy Associate reads a story. • Parents, children, and staff sing a goodbye song. • Parents and children have the opportunity to borrow books from the Lending Library. Continuity Take-Home Materials

15 minutes

The Family Literacy Associates provide the parents with a tactile toy, and a tactile book, such as Pat the Bunny by Dorothy Kunhardt. The Family Literacy Associates will demonstrate the use of the continuity take-home materials and support parents in identifying the connection to the session’s activities. Parents will be encouraged to share these materials with their children on an ongoing basis.

Suggested books: Bang, Molly. (1983). Greenwillow Books. Ten, Nine, Eight. Kunhardt, Dorothy. (2001). Golden Books. Pat the Bunny. Williams, Vera B. (1997). Greenwillow Books. “More, More, More” Said the Baby.

Now you see me. Now you don’t.

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Understanding Your Child’s Growth and Development How Does My Child Grow and Learn? For the child… it is not half so important to know as to feel. If facts are the seeds that later produce knowledge and wisdom, then the emotions and impressions of the senses are the fertile soil in which the seeds must grow.. —Rachel Carson

Week 2 Session 1 TIME

TIME FOR: Welcome

20 minutes

The Family Literacy Associates welcome each parent and child and encourages them to participate in the attendance chart activity as they enter. The session begins with a welcome song to greet each child. One Family Literacy Associate reads a story, and engages the children and the parents in the previously learned nursery rhyme, finger play, and/or song. A new nursery rhyme, finger play, and/or song will be introduced. The other Family Literacy Associate assists in these activities. Interactive Discussion: Parent and Family Literacy Associate

Small Group Session: Child and Family Literacy Associate

Parents share their experiences with the continuity take-home materials from the previous session:

The Family Literacy Associate:

Expected Outcomes For Week 2, Session 1

• Supports the children as they explore materials that support their development in the four learning domains.

Parents will better understand that: • Their children grow physically, socially, emotionally, and cognitively (intellectually).

30 minutes

• They can support their children’s development in each of the four learning domains. The Family Literacy Associate will: • Display four pictures of children, each depicting one of the four domains of development. • Engage the parents in a discussion around each picture. • Assist the parents in labeling each picture with the word “physical,” “social,” “emotional,” or “cognitive.” • Lead a discussion on how parents can support their children’s development in each of the four domains. For example: to promote physical development the parents can provide opportunities to run, jump, hop, and climb.

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• Encourages the children to select their own activities.

Interactive Literacy Activity

Parents interact with their children in the children’s area.. The Family Literacy Associates support the parents in noticing how materials and activities reinforce their children’s development in the four learning domains.

30 minutes

As the Interactive Literacy Activity ends, the Family Literacy Associates. • Encourage parents to ask clarifying questions • Provide parents with a calendar produced by The Parents Institute, a division of NIS, Inc., with suggested daily activities for supporting children’s development in each of the four domains. Clean-up and Closing Activity

• Parents, children, and staff sing the clean-up song.

25 minutes

• The children participate in the clean-up process. • One Family Literacy Associate reads a story. • Parents, children, and staff sing the goodbye song. • Parents and children have the opportunity to borrow books from the Lending Library. At-Home Activity

The Family Literacy Associates provide the parents with a copy of the week’s nursery rhyme and finger play to recite/sing with their children.

15 minutes

The Family Literacy Associates distribute the disposable cameras to the parents. Parents are asked to take one to two photos of their children engaged in an activity that supports development in one or more of the domains. Parents are asked to notice how the activities their children engage in support development in the four learning domains.

Suggested books: Faulkner, Keith. (2002). Cartwheel. The Five Senses. Martin, Bill Jr., Archambault, John. (2000). Aladdin. Chicka, Chicka, Boom, Boom. Oxenbury, Helen. (1999). Little Simon. All Fall Down.

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Understanding Your Child’s Growth and Development Stages in the Developmental Process Talking is not just speaking. Talking involves communication-speaking with and to someone, getting feedback, and composing language in response to that feedback. —Ruth Corey Selman, Ph.D.

Week 2 Session 2 TIME

TIME FOR: Welcome

20 minutes

The Family Literacy Associates welcome each parent and child and encourage them to engage in the attendance chart activity as they enter. The session begins with a welcome song to greet each child. One Family Literacy Associate reads a story, and engages the children and the parents in the previously learned nursery rhymes, finger plays, and/or songs. The other Family Literacy Associate assists in these activities. Interactive Discussion: Parent and Family Literacy Associate

Small Group Session: Child and Family Literacy Associate

Parents share their experiences with the at-home activity from the previous session.

The Family Literacy Associate:

Expected Outcomes For Week 2, Session 2

• Supports children’s language development by engaging in conversations and putting language around their selected activities.

Parents will better understand: • Typical language development. • How to support their children’s language development. The Family Literacy Associate will:

30 minutes

• Display three cards each printed with children’s language: “Kitty eat”

“I want to go home”

• Encourages the children to select their own activities.

“dada”

• Lead a discussion and assist parents with matching a picture depicting a developmental stage with the language on each of the cards. • Distribute and discuss a language development chart for children 7-12 months, 12-24 months, and 24-36 months. • Share and discuss a prepared list of guidelines for fostering children’s language at each stage of development.

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Interactive Literacy Activity

30 minutes

Parents interact with their children in the children’s area. The Family Literacy Associates support the parents as they implement one or more of the tips for supporting language development discussed during the interactive discussion. As the Interactive Literacy Activity ends, the Family Literacy Associates: • Encourage parents to ask clarifying questions. • Provide parents with a list of guidelines for supporting their children’s language development. Clean-up and Closing Activity

• Parents, children, and staff sing the clean-up song.

25 minutes

• The children participate in the clean-up process. • One Family Literacy Associate reads a story. • Parents, children, and staff sing the goodbye song. • Parents and children have the opportunity to borrow books from the Lending Library. Continuity Take-Home Materials

15 minutes

The Family Literacy Associates provide a hand puppet and book set for parents to use at home with their children. The Family Literacy Associates demonstrate the use of the continuity take-home materials and support parents in identifying the connection to the session’s activities. Parents are encouraged to share these materials with their children on an ongoing basis.

Suggested Books: Brown, Margaret Wise. (1977). HarperTrophy. Goodnight Moon. Lee, Spike, and Lee, Tonya Lewis. (2002). Simon & Schuster Children’s Publishing. Please Baby Please. Tildes, Phyllis Limbacher. (2001). Charlesbridge Publishing. Baby Faces.

Play is a fun way to bond with your child.

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Building Relationships for Learning Learning Through Play …but for infants and young children, play is a way of trying out and finding out about the world around them. —Janice J. Beaty

Week 3 Session 1 TIME

TIME FOR: Welcome

20 minutes

The Family Literacy Associates welcome each parent and child and encourage them to engage in the attendance chart activity as they enter. The session begins with a welcome song to greet each child. One Family Literacy Associate reads a story, and engages the children and the parents in the previously learned nursery rhymes, finger plays, and/or songs. A new nursery rhyme, finger play, and/or song is introduced. The other Family Literacy Associate assists in these activities. Interactive Discussion: Parent and Family Literacy Associate

Small Group Session: Child and Family Literacy Associate

Parents share their experiences with the continuity take-home materials from the previous session.

The Family Literacy Associate:

Expected Outcomes For Week 3, Session 1

• Supports the overall duration and quality of play by offering props, activities, or toys that expand the level of play.

Parents will better understand that: • Children learn by playing. • Children grow physically, emotionally, and intellectually through play. The Family Literacy Associate will:

30 minutes

• Engage the parents in a discussion about their favorite play activities when they were children. • Connect the parents’ childhood play choices to developing: large and small muscles, social relationships, listening and speaking skills, and creativity. • Share with parents the research indicating that children learn through play. • Provide parents with an opportunity to engage in a variety of play activities, e.g. play dough, puzzles, stacking cups, bean bags, sorting toys, dramatic play props. Continued on next page.

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• Encourages the children to select their own activities.

Interactive Discussion: Parent and Family Literacy Associate continued

• Engage the parents in a discussion about the learning value of each activity. • Invite the parents to identify the play activities their children enjoy and the learning value of that play. • Display several pictures of toys such as Bingo, a rattle, stacking toys, a tricycle, and support parents as they arrange them in a logical sequence that parallels children’s developmental levels. • Facilitate a discussion on the appropriateness of children’s toys at different stages of development. Interactive Literacy Activity

30 minutes

Parents interact with their children in the children’s area. The Family Literacy Associates support the parents in recognizing the growth and learning that occurs through this play. Parents are encouraged to offer additional props, activities, or toys to expand the level of play. As the Interactive Literacy Activity ends, the Family Literacy Associates: • Encourage parents to ask clarifying questions. • Provide parents with a handout with pictures of a variety of toys which support physical, social-emotional, and intellectual development. Clean-up and Closing Activity

Parents, children, and staff sing the clean-up song.

25 minutes

The children participate in the clean-up process. One Family Literacy Associate reads a story. Parents, children, and staff sing the goodbye song. Parents and children have the opportunity to borrow books from the Lending Library. At-Home Activity

25 minutes

The Family Literacy Associates provide the parents with a copy of the week’s nursery rhyme and finger play to recite/sing with their children. Parents are asked to observe their children at play and notice what they are learning. Parents are asked to take one to two photos of their children at play.

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Suggested books: Bowie, C.W. (2000). Charlesbridge Publishing. Busy Toes. Martin, Bill Jr. (1997). Henry Holt and Co. Polar Bear, Polar Bear, What Do You Hear? Wood, Audrey. (1992). Harcourt Children’s Books. Silly Sally.

Every experience is an opportunity to support language development in children.

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Building Relationships for Learning Learning Through Play Only by supporting mature, high quality play can we really help children fully develop their language and literacy skills. —Elena Bordrova, Ph.D., Deborah J. Leong, Ph.D.

Week 3 Session 2 TIME

TIME FOR: Welcome

20 minutes

The Family Literacy Associates welcome each parent and child and encourage them to engage in the attendance chart activity as they enter. The session begins with a welcome song to greet each child. One Family Literacy Associate reads a story, and engages the children and the parents in the previously learned nursery rhymes, finger plays, and/or songs. The other Family Literacy Associate assists in these activities. Interactive Discussion: Parent and Family Literacy Associate

Small Group Session: Child and Family Literacy Associate

Parents share their experiences with the at-home activity from the previous session.

The Family Literacy Associate:

Expected Outcomes For Week 3, Session 2 Parents will better understand: • How language develops through play. • How they can develop and extend their children’s language and vocabulary through play. The Family Literacy Associate will:

30 minutes

• Display an enlarged picture of a parent and child engaged in play and ask the parents to imagine what they might be saying. • Point out that play is a natural opportunity for language exchange. • Show the video “Talking and Play,” developed by the Washington Research Institute. • Stop the video at the end of each section to engage parents in a discussion about supporting children’s language development through play. • Summarize the three strategies suggested in the video as indicated below; Comment and wait. Ask questions and wait Respond by adding a little more.

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• Encourages the children to select their own activities. • Facilitates language development by extending the children’s language and by putting language around what they are doing.

Interactive Literacy Activity

30 minutes

Parents interact with their children in the children’s area. The Family Literacy Associates encourage the parents to support their children’s language development by engaging their children in conversation during play. As the Interactive Literacy Activity ends, the Family Literacy Associates: • Encourage parents to ask clarifying questions. • Provide parents with a handout that outlines strategies to support language development during play. Clean-up and Closing Activity

• Parents, children, and staff sing the clean-up song.

25 minutes

• The children participate in the clean-up process. • One Family Literacy Associate reads a story. • Parents, children, and staff sing the goodbye song. • Parents and children have the opportunity to borrow books from the Lending Library. Continuity Take-Home Materials

15 minutes

The Family Literacy Associates provide one puzzle and one interactive book for the parents to use at home with their children. The Family Literacy Associates demonstrate the use of the continuity take-home materials and support parents in identifying the connection to the session’s activities. Parents are encouraged to share these materials with their children on an ongoing basis.

Suggested books: Cowley, Joy. (1999). Philomel. Mrs. Wishy-Washy. Root, Phyllis. (2001). Candlewick. One Duck Stuck. Seuss, Dr. (1963). Random House Books for Young Readers. Hop on Pop.

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Guiding Children’s Learning Building on What Children Know …as children go about their daily lives, they develop and test a never ending series of little hypotheses, or ideas, about the ways in which the world works. As new experiences challenge their existing hypotheses, children refine them to accommodate the new information. —Ferreiro, Tebeerosky, & J. Piaget

Week 4 Session 1 TIME

TIME FOR: Welcome

20 minutes

The Family Literacy Associates welcome each parent and the child and encourage them to engage in the attendance chart activity as they enter. The session begins with a welcome song to greet each child. One Family Literacy Associate reads a story, and engages the children and the parents in the previously learned nursery rhymes, finger plays, and/or songs. A new nursery rhyme, finger play, and/or song will be introduced. The other Family Literacy Associate assists in these activities. Interactive Discussion: Parent and Family Literacy Associate

Small Group Session: Child and Family Literacy Associate

Parents share their experiences with the continuity take-home materials from the previous session.

The Family Literacy Associate:

Expected Outcomes For Week 4, Session 1

• Encourages the children to use blocks to build structures.

Parents will better understand:

• Provides opportunities for the children to integrate three-dimensional animals in their structures.

• How to identify and build on what children already know.

30 minutes

• How to play a game with their children to support language and concept development. The Family Literacy Associate will: • Support parents in discovering that many toys, games, and books have an animal theme. • Help parents to recognize that the animal theme in books and toys builds on what children already know about animals. • Demonstrate the “Animals All Around Game.” (See the following activity.)

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• Encourages the children to select their own activities.

Interactive Literacy Activity

Parents interact with their children in the children’s area. The Family Literacy Associates support parents as they engage their children in the following activitiy:

Animals All Around Game (Excerpt from Games to Play with Toddlers by Jackie Silbey) • Sit on the floor next to your child, with a box in front of the both of you. • Put a play animal next to the box. While you are doing this, tell your child that you are putting the play animal next to the box.

30 minutes

• Ask your child to give you the play animal that is next to the box. • Continue putting animals in different places: in front of the box, behind the box, on top of the box, and under the box. • Give the play animal to the child and ask him to put it in different places around the box. • When the child can do this easily add more boxes so that the game becomes more challenging. As the Interactive Literacy Activity ends, the Family Literacy Associates: • Encourage parents to ask clarifying questions. • Provide parents with animal crackers to share with their children and to use to stimulate language. Clean-up and Closing Activity

• Parents, children, and staff, sing the clean-up song.

15 minutes

• The children participate in the clean-up process. • One Family Literacy Associate reads a story. • Parents, children, and staff sing the goodbye song. • Parents and children have the opportunity to borrow books from the Lending Library. At-Home Activity

25 minutes

• The Family Literacy Associates provide the parents with a copy of the week’s nursery rhyme and finger play to recite/sing with their children. • Parents are asked to take one to two photos of their children with a favorite animal toy or animal book.

Suggested books: Black, Sonia and Galeron, Henri. (2003). Cartwheel. Look and Learn: On the Farm. Brown, Margaret Wise.(1994). HarperFestival. Big Red Barn. Martin, Bill Jr. (1996). Henry Holt and Co. Brown Bear, Brown Bear, What Do You See?

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Guiding Children’s Learning Building on What Children Know Children learn from and through identification with people who care for them and are emotionally important to them. —Cale, Bruner, and Vygotsky

Week 4 Session 2 TIME

TIME FOR: Welcome

20 minutes

The Family Literacy Associates welcome each parent and child and encourage them to engage in the attendance chart activity as they enter. The session begins with a welcome song to greet each child. One Family Literacy Associate reads a story, and engages the children and the parents in the previously learned nursery rhymes, finger plays, and/or songs. The other Family Literacy Associate assists in these activities. Interactive Discussion: Parent and Family Literacy Associate

Small Group Session: Child and Family Literacy Associate

Parents share their experiences with the at-home activity from the previous session.

The Family Literacy Associate:

Expected Outcomes For Week 4 Session 2 Parents will better understand that: • Positive self-concept leads to independence and learning. • They have a major influence on the development of their child’s positive self-concept. The Family Literacy Associate will:

30 minutes

• Share a variety of books with pictures of children’s faces and other parts of the body. • Remind parents that children know parts of the body because they probably taught their children to point to their eyes, nose, and mouth when they were just babies. • Display and recite the finger play, “Head and Shoulders, Knees and Toes.” • Lead a discussion on how to build on what children already know about themselves, and teach less familiar parts of the body, for example, elbows, chin, and wrist. • Invite parents to think back to when they were children and recall a person or experience that made them feel good about themselves. Continued on next page.

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• Encourages the children to select their own activities. • Provides children with an opportunity to look into mirrors and identify parts of the body.

Interactive Discussion: Parent and Family Literacy Associate continued

• Share with parents the research that shows that a child who has a positive self-concept learns more easily than a child with low self-esteem. • Talk about how to build children’s self-esteem and self-confidence so that they can become independent and learn new things. Interactive Literacy Activity

Parents interact with their children in the children’s area. The Family Literacy Associates support parents as they trace their children’s hands or make handprints. The Family Literacy Associates lead the parents and children in doing the “Hokey Pokey,” pointing out familiar and unfamiliar parts of the body.

30 minutes

As the Interactive Literacy Activity ends, the Family Literacy Associates: • Encourage parents to ask clarifying questions. • Provide parents with a copy of “Head and Shoulders, Knees and Toes” and a copy of the “Hokey Pokey” to practice at home with their children. In preparation for the next session, parents are asked to identify labels from products that are familiar to their children. They should be asked to cut these labels out and bring them to the next session. Clean-up and Closing Activity

• Parents, children, and staff sing the clean-up song.

25 minutes

• The children participate in the clean-up process. • One Family Literacy Associate reads a story. • Parents, children, and staff sing the goodbye song. • Parents and children have the opportunity to borrow books from the Lending Library. Continuity At-Home Activity

15 minutes

The Family Literacy Associates provide one plastic mirror and one book Good Job Little Bear by Martin Waddell. The Family Literacy Associates demonstrate the use of the continuity take-home materials and support parents in identifying their connection to the session’s activities. Parents are encouraged to share these materials with their children on an ongoing basis.

Suggested books: Carle, Eric. (1999) HarperFestival. From Head to Toe. Martin, Bill, Jr., and Archambault, J. (1998) Henry Holt and Co. Here Are My Hands. Pinkney, A.D., and Pinkney, J. (1997). Red Wagon Books. Pretty Brown Face.

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Reading the World Print All Around Us Children’s initial encounters with written language occur within their social and cultural world, mostly in the form of environmental print. —Yetta Goodman

Week 5 Session 1 TIME

TIME FOR: Welcome

20 minutes

The Family Literacy Associates welcome each parent and child and encourage them to engage in the attendance chart activity as they enter. The session begins with a welcome song to greet each child. One Family Literacy Associate reads a story, and engages the children and the parents in the previously learned nursery rhymes, finger plays, and/or songs. A new nursery rhyme, finger play, and/or song is introduced. The other Family Literacy Associate assists in these activities. Interactive Discussion: Parent and Family Literacy Associate

Small Group Session: Child and Family Literacy Associate

Parents share their experiences with the continuity take-home materials from the previous session.

The Family Literacy Associate:

Expected Outcomes For Week 5, Session 1

• When developmentally appropriate, encourages the children to recognize the environmental print that is displayed around the room, for example, “EXIT.”

Parents will be better able to: • Identify the pre-reading skills their children already have. • Support their children’s pre-reading skills by using environmental print.

30 minutes

The Family Literacy Associate will: • Display the following cards:

the • Ask parents to identify the word/symbol that children learn first. • Define environmental print as words or symbols that appear often in homes, communities, and the media. • Explain that environmental print is often the first words and symbols that children identify and read. Continued on next page.

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• Encourages the children to select their own activities.

Interactive Discussion: Parent and Family Literacy Associate continued

• Take the opportunity to have parents share the labels they have brought in and talk about the significance of them to their children. • Invite parents to make a simple environmental print book for their children, using the labels they have gathered. Interactive Literacy Activity

Parents interact with their children in the children’s area. The Family Literacy Associates support the parents as they share their environmental print books with the children.

30 minutes

As the Interactive Literacy Activity ends, the Family Literacy Associates: • Encourage parents to ask clarifying questions. • Provide parents with a brochure that identifies places to take children on family trips where they may see environmental print. Clean-up and Closing Activity

• Parents, children, and staff sing the clean-up song.

25 minutes

• The children participate in the clean-up process. • One Family Literacy Associate reads a story. • Parents, children, and staff sing the goodbye song. • Parents and children have the opportunity to borrow books from the Lending Library. At-Home Activity

• The Family Literacy Associates provide parents with a copy of the week’s nursery rhyme and finger play to recite/sing with their children.

15 minutes

• Parents are asked to take one to two photos of their children next to neighborhood environmental print. • Parents are asked to look around the house with their child and identify additional print to add to the environmental print book.

Suggested books: Crews, Donald. (1992). HarperTrophy. Freight Train. Crews, Donald. (1993). HarperTrophy. School Bus. Marzollo, Jean. (1998). Cartwheel. I Spy Wheels.

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Reading the World Print All Around Us Learning to read and write is an ongoing process. Contrary to popular belief, it does not suddenly begin in kindergarten or first grade. From the earliest years, everything that adults do to support children’s language and literacy counts. —Hart and Risley

Week 5 Session 2 TIME

TIME FOR: Welcome of Parent and Child

20 minutes

The Family Literacy Associates welcome each parent and child and encourage them to engage in the attendance chart activity as they enter. The session begins with a welcome song to greet each child. One Family Literacy Associate reads a story, and engages the children and the parents in the previously learned nursery rhymes, finger plays, and/or songs. The other Family Literacy Associate assists in these activities. Interactive Discussion: Parent and Teacher

Small Group Session: Child and Family Literacy Associate

Parents share their experiences with the at-home activity from the previous session.

The Family Literacy Associate:

Expected Outcomes For Week 5, Session 2 Parents will: • Identify neighborhood places to visit with their children during the neighborhood walk.

30 minutes

• Become more aware of places in the neighborhood as resources to build their children’s knowledge, support their language development and identify environmental print. The Family Literacy Associates will: • Discuss what they plan to see and the opportunities for language and vocabulary development they will take advantage of as they take a neighborhood walk with their children. • Remind parents to point out familiar print that they see on their walk.

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• Prepares the children for the trip by sharing a story about a neighborhood location. • Assists the children in dressing for the outdoors if appropriate.

Interactive Literacy Activity

30 minutes

The parents and children, together with the Family Literacy Associates take a neighborhood walk. All adults will engage in conversation with the children and point out environmental print. As the Interactive Literacy Activity ends, the Family Literacy Associates: • Encourage parents to ask clarifying questions. • Provide parents with a list of additional places where they may find environmental print that may be familiar to their children.

25 minutes

Clean-up and Closing Activity

• Parents, children, and staff sing the goodbye song. Continuity Take-Home Materials

15 minutes

The Family Literacy Associates provide parents with the book: I Read Signs by Tana Hoban. The Family Literacy Associates demonstrate the use of the continuity take-home materials and support parents in identifying the connection to the session’s activities. Parents are encouraged to share these materials with their children on an ongoing basis.

Suggested books: Adams, Pam and Freeman, Tina. (2001). Child’s Play International Ltd. The Wheels on the Bus. Hoban, Tana. (1983). Scholastic, Inc. I Read Signs. Hutchins, Pat. (1971). Aladdin. Rosie’s Walk.

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Everyday Learning Experiences Indoor and Outdoor Activities Most adults find the routines of daily living to be tedious. We get dressed, set the table, clean the living room, and go to the supermarket because these are the jobs that must be done. We give little thought to these familiar chores except perhaps to wish someone else would do them for us. Yet for young children, these everyday tasks are fascinating opportunities to explore and to learn about themselves and the people and the things in their world. —Amy Laura Dombro

Week 6 Session 1 TIME

TIME FOR: Welcome

20 minutes

The Family Literacy Associates welcome each parent and child and encourage them to engage in the attendance chart activity as they enter. The session begins with a welcome song to greet each child. One Family Literacy Associate reads a story, and engages the children and the parents in the previously learned nursery rhymes, finger plays, and/or songs. A new nursery rhyme, finger play, and/or song will be introduced. The other Family Literacy Associate assists in these activities. Interactive Discussion: Parent and Family Literacy Associate

Small Group Session: Child and Family Literacy Associate

Parents share their experiences with the continuity take-home materials from the previous session.

The Family Literacy Associate:

Expected Outcomes For Week 6, Session 1

• Introduces the newly added sand and water table and equipment such as funnels, sieves, etc.

Parents will better understand that: • Children are learning all day long.

30 minutes

• Everyday activities are opportunities to help their children learn concepts and languages. • A child’s age and developmental level should determine the kind of experiences they provide. The Family Literacy Associate will: • Share a vignette with the parents that depicts a mother’s typical day. • Assist the parents with identifying the many daily opportunities which they have for supporting their children’s learning. • Use a doll and a plastic tub to demonstrate bath time conversation. Continued on next page.

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• Encourages the children to select their own activities.

Interactive Discussion: Parent and Family Literacy Associate continued

• Guide parents in the development of a chart such as the one below, which indicates what parents can do when bathing and dressing their children, preparing food, shopping, etc. A sample chart may begin as follows: Preparing Food

You:

Your Child:

Provide opportunity for your child to play with plastic bowls, wooden spoons, whisks, etc.

Will increase his/her vocabulary by learning the names of these objects.

While reading a Will learn the recipe, allow your importance of child to assist by reading. getting the ingredients, measurinig, pouring, stirring, etc.

Interactive Literacy Activity

30 minutes

Parents interact with their children in the children’s area. The Family Literacy Associates support the parents as they draw upon the ideas presented during the Interactive Discussion for Parent and Family Literacy Associate, and as they take advantage of the many opportunities to support their children’s learning with greater intentionality. As the Interactive Literacy Activity ends, the Family Literacy Associates: • Encourage parents to ask clarifying questions. • Provide parents with a list of common household objects their children can explore to support vocabulary and language development. Clean-up and Closing Activity

• Parents, children, and staff sing the clean-up song.

25 minutes

• The children participate in the clean-up process. • One Family Literacy Associate reads a story. • Parents and children sing the goodbye song. • Parents and children have the opportunity to borrow books from the Lending Library. At-Home Activity

• The Family Literacy Associates provide the parents with a copy of the week’s nursery rhyme and finger play to recite at home with their children.

15 minutes

• Parents are asked to put plastic funnels, empty margarine tubs, and measuring spoons or cups in the bathtub with their child to stimulate play and talk. • Parents are asked to take one to two photos of their children visiting the supermarket, post office, Laundromat, or other neighborhood places.

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Suggested books: Adoff, Arnold, and Desimini, Lisa. (2000). Blue Sky Press. Touch the Poem. Garland, Sarah. (1995). Gardners Books. Doing the Washing. Tafuri, Nancy. (2003). Scholastic Press. You Are Special, Little One.

Reading to a child every day is a precursor to a child learning to read independently.

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Everyday Learning Experiences Neighborhood Walking Trips Young children collectively can be interested in almost every imaginable aspect of a trip outside the school. Their attention can be drawn to people or objects, their functions, how they work, and how they relate to other objects or people. —Lillian G. Katz and Sylvia Chard, Engaging Children’s Mind: The Project Approach

Week 6 Session 2 TIME

TIME FOR: Welcome

20 minutes

The Family Literacy Associates welcome each parent and child and encourage them to engage in the attendance chart activity as they enter. The session begins with a welcome song to greet each child. One Family Literacy Associate reads a story, and engages the children and parents in previously learned nursery rhymes, finger plays, and/or songs. The other Family Literacy Associate assists in these activities. Interactive Discussion: Parent and Family Literacy Associate

Small Group Session: Child and Family Literacy Associate

Parents share their experiences with the at-home activity from the previous session.

The Family Literacy Associate:

Expected Outcomes For Week 6, Session 2 Parents will learn how: • To support their children’s natural curiosity by providing opportunities for their children to talk about things they see and to ask questions.

30 minutes

• To take “looking walks” around the neighborhood to see construction, community workers, stores, and natural phenomena. The Family Literacy Associate will: • Begin the discussion by inviting the parents to join in singing “Who Are the People in Your Neighborhood?” from the Sesame Street television show. • Review the lists of neighborhood places previously generated by parents during Week 5, Session 1, “Reading the World: Print All Around Us.” • Invite parents to substitute neighborhood places for people as they engage in singing “What Are the Places in Your Neighborhood?” Continued on next page.

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• Encourages the children to select their own activities. • Introduces the children to additional dramatic play area such as supermarket, post office, laundromat, etc.

Interactive Discussion: Parent and Family Literacy Associate continued

• Engage parents in a mapping activity that includes identifying the different kinds of walks to take and a discussion on how these walks support language, literacy, and concept development. For example: Store Walk Look Down Walk

Vehicle Walk

NEIGHBORHOOD

Growing Things Walk

Look Up Walk

• Share the contents of a basket filled with natural phenomena from the neighborhood, for example, leaves, pine cones, and pebbles. • Ask parents to view these things through the eyes of a child as well as through a magnifying glass. • Engage the parents in a discussion on the observations, comments, and questions that might result from observing these objects. • Suggest to parents that children begin to notice similarities and differences in objects and in time notice similarities in words, letters, and numbers. • Provide the parents with soil, seeds, and containers to plant with their children, and to observe and talk about over time.

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Interactive Literacy Activity

30 minutes

Parents interact with their children in the children’s area. The Family Literacy Associates support parents as they encourage the children to talk about their play in the supermarket, post office, or laundromat. Parents may plant seedlings with their children and engage them in conversation about the process. As the Interactive Literacy Activity ends, the Family Literacy Associates: • Encourage parents to ask clarifying questions. • Provide parents with a copy of a list of neighborhood places. Clean-up and Closing Activity

• Parents, children, and staff sing the clean-up song.

25 minutes

• The children participate in the clean-up process. • One Family Literacy Associate reads a story. • Parents, children, and staff sing the goodbye song. • Parents and children have the opportunity to borrow books from the Lending Library. Continuity At-Home Activity

25 minutes

The Family Literacy Associates provide parents with one magnifying glass and one book, Growing Vegetable Soup by Lois Ehlert. The Family Literacy Associates demonstrate the use of the continuity take-home materials and support parents in identifying the connection to the session’s activities. Parents are encouraged to share these materials with their children on an ongoing basis.

Suggested books: Ehlert, Lois. (1990). Voyager Books. Growing Vegetable Soup. Intrater, Roberta Grobel. (2002). Baby Faces: Eat. Oxenbury, Helen. (1999). Little Simon. Clap Hands.

Read to your child every day.

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Developing a Love of Learning Selecting Appropriate Books It is never too early to start reading to young children. Infants and toddlers who have warm experiences with books feel good about being read to. Adults can help young children learn about print and books by reading to children daily and providing opportunities for infants and toddlers to use and handle their own books. —National Center for Family Literacy, Children’s Literacy: Infants and Toddlers

Week 7 Session 1 TIME

TIME FOR: Welcome

20 minutes

The Family Literacy Associates welcome each parent and child and encourage them to engage in the attendance chart activity as they enter. The session begins with a welcome song to greet each child. One Family Literacy Associate reads a story, and engages the children and parents in the previously learned nursery rhymes, finger plays, and/or songs. The other Family Literacy Associate assists in these activities. Interactive Discussion: Parent and Family Literacy Associate

Small Group Session: Child and Family Literacy Associate

Parents share their experiences with the continuity take-home materials.

The Family Literacy Assoicate:

Expected Outcomes For Week 7, Session 1 Parents will better understand how to:

30 minutes

• Promote a love of reading by selecting appropriate books for their children based on their interests, ages, and stages of development. • Expose their children to a variety of genres to support literacy growth The Family Literacy Associate will: • Display a chart reflecting stages of language development and appropriate books. The chart may begin as follows: Continued on next page.

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• Provides children with new books that connect to their center play, such as Truck and Freight Train, by Donald Crews, in the building area. • Supports the children in holding books, turning the pages, and looking at and talking about the pictures.

Interactive Discussion: Parent and Family Literacy Associate continued

Appropriate Books Age

Books

6-12 months

• Cloth books and board books. • Books that fit into a child’s hands. • Wordless books. • Books with a single word, phrase, or short sentence on each page. • Books with rhymes. • Books with handles. • Books with simple stories. • Books with bright pictures of familiar objects or people.

12-18 months • Books with stiff pages. • Books with handles. • Books with rhymes. • Books with songs. • Books with repeated verses. • Books with few words on each page. • Books with bright pictures of familiar objects, animals or people. 18-36 months • Books with paper pages. • Books with words that match the picture. • Books with rhythm and rhyme. • Books with repeated verses. • Books with predictable text. • Books with easy to follow story lines. • Books with detailed illustrations. • Books that tell simple, short stories. • Books with stories that have problems to solve. *Adapted from Children’s Literacy–Infant and Toddler Easy to Learn Easy to Read. National Center for Family Literacy.

Continued on next page.

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Interactive Discussion: Parent and Family Literacy Associate continued

• Provide parents with a wide variety of books and support them as they match books with ages/stages of development. • Engage parents in a discussion about why children need to be exposed to a variety of literary genres, and show examples of the following kinds of books: – Informational books. – Repetitive/predictable books. – Books that tell a story. • Label three baskets, each with one of the kinds of books listed above. • Support parents in sorting some of the books from the lending library into three categories.

Interactive Literacy Activity

30 minutes

Parents interact with their children in the children’s area. The Family Literacy Associates support the parents as they guide their children in selecting a book from the library area. Parents may use the rocking chairs or gliders, or select a cozy spot to read a book to their child for enjoyment. As the Interactive Literacy Activity ends, the Family Literacy Associates provide parents with a list of books appropriate to the age of their child.

Clean-up and Closing Activity

• Parents, children, and staff sing the clean-up song. • The children participate in the clean-up process.

25 minutes

• One Family Literacy Associate reads a story. • Parents, children, and staff sing the goodbye song. • Parents are informed that they will be taking a trip to the neighborhood public library during the next session. They are reminded to bring appropriate identification.

At-Home Activities

15 minutes

• Parents are invited to borrow one book from each of the three baskets of categorized books to read to their child at home. • Parents are asked to take one or two photos of their child sharing a book with someone else.

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Suggested books: Bailey, Debbie. (1991). Annick Press. Shoes. Krauss, Ruth. (1973). Scholastic Book Services. The Carrot Seed. Strickland, Paul. (1998). Dutton Children’s Books. Dinosaur Roar.

Grandpa reading to Julian.

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Developing a Love of Reading A Visit to the Library Words, stories, books, and print weave a fabric for everyday life that enfolds young children and nurtures them as talkers, readers, and writers. —Regalado, Goldenberg, and Appel

Week 7 Session 2 TIME

TIME FOR: Welcome

20 minutes

The Family Literacy Associates welcome parents and children and encourage them to engage in the attendance chart activity as they enter. The session begins with a welcome song to greet each child. One Family Literacy Associate reads a story and engages the children and parents in the previously learned nursery rhymes, finger plays, and songs. The other Family Literacy Associate assists in these activities. Interactive Discussion: Parent and Family Literacy Associate

Small Group Session: Child and Family Literacy Associate

Parents share their experiences with the at-home activity from the previous session.

The Family Literacy Associate:

Expected Outcomes For Week 7, Session 2

• Assists the children with dressing for the outdoors if appropriate.

Parents will better understand: • How the neighborhood library can be used to promote their children’s interest in books.

30 minutes

• How to participate in the activities libraries provided for families. The Family Literacy Associate will: • Inform the parents that arrangements have been made and activities have been planned with the local librarian. • Encourage parents to apply for library cards for themselves and their children if they don’t already have them. • Remind parents to use this walking trip as an opportunity to engage in conversation with their children.

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• Helps prepare the children for the trip.

Interactive Literacy Activity

30 minutes

The parents and their children together with the Family Literacy Associates visit the neighborhood library. They may participate in an orientation, a tour, a story hour, and receive library cards. As the Interactive Literacy Activity ends, the Family Literacy Associates: • Encourage parents to ask clarifying questions. • Encourage parents to take free literature about library and community events.

25 minutes

Clean-up and Closing Activity

Parents, children, and staff sing the goodbye song.

Continuity Take-Home Materials

15 minutes

Parents and children leave with literature supplied by the neighborhood librarian. The Family Literacy Associates demonstrate the use of the continuity take-home materials and support parents in identifying the connection to the session’s activities.

Suggested books: Cousins, Lucy. (1992). Candlewick. Maisy Goes to the Playground. Freeman, Don. (1976). Puffin. Corduroy. Hutchins, Pat. (1971). Aladdin. Rosie’s Walk.

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Opening the Door to the World of Reading Using Everyday Language Literacy is a functional component of daily living in the home. Speaking, reading, and writing all are associated with daily activities. —William Teal

Week 8 Session 1 TIME

TIME FOR: Welcome

20 minutes

The Family Literacy Associates welcome each parent and child, and encourage them to engage in the attendance chart activity as they enter. The session begins with a welcome song to greet each child. One Family Literacy Associate reads a story, and engages the children and parents in the previously learned nursery rhymes, finger plays, and/or songs. The other Family Literacy Associate assists in these activities. Interactive Discussion: Parent and Family Literacy Associate

Small Group Session: Child and Family Literacy Associate

Parents share their plans for participating in neighborhood library activities based on the materials they received during the last session.

The Family Literacy Associate:

Expected Outcome For Week 8 Session 1

• Supports vocabulary development by putting language around what the children are doing.

Parents will better understand: • How to use day to day “teachable moments” to support children’s language development. • How to build on language benchmarks. The Family Literacy Associate will: • Elicit responses from parents to complete a chart such as the one below.

30 minutes

Language Benchmarks Child makes cooing or babbling sounds.

How Parent May Respond Make eye contact, smile, and imitate the sound child makes.

Child is not talking but brings parent something. Child is starting to point to and name things. *Adapted from L. Danahy, CDHD University of Idaho.

• Guide parents in a discussion on language development opportunities that exist throughout the day, for example, getting dressed in the morning, playing in the afternoon, and bath time in the evening.

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• Encourages the children to select their own activities.

Interactive Literacy Activity

30 minutes

Parents interact with their children in the children’s area. The Family Literacy Associates support parents as they identify and act upon teachable moments to support their children’s literacy development. As the Interactive Literacy Activity ends, the Family Literacy Associates: • Encourage parents to ask clarifying questions • Provide parents with refrigerator magnets that say, “Parents Are Teachers, Too.”

Clean-up and Closing Activity

• Parents, children, and staff sing the clean-up song.

25 minutes

• The children participate in the clean-up process. • One Family Literacy Associate reads a story. • Parents, children, and staff sing the goodbye song. • Parents and children have the opportunity to borrow books from the Lending Library. At-Home Activity

• The Family Literacy Associates remind parents to continue reciting nursery rhymes and finger plays at home with their children.

15 minutes

• Parents are asked to engage in “teachable moments,” for example, to talk to their children about the sequence of events of the morning while getting ready for the NYCELL program. • Parents are asked to take one to two photos of their children getting ready for the NYCELL program in the morning.

Suggested books: Bailey, Debbie. (1991). Annick Press. Clothes. Intrater, Roberta Grobel. (2002). Cartwheel. Baby Faces: Eat. Smith, Edward Biko. (1994). Africa World Press. A Lullaby for Daddy.

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Opening the Door to the World of Reading Using Everyday Language Narrative talk within family meal time conversations during the preschool years, another measure of linguistic environment, also appears to be a strong predicator of literacy development. —Beals & DeTemple, and Beals and Snow

Week 8 Session 2 TIME

TIME FOR: Welcome

20 minutes

The Family Literacy Associates welcome parents and children, and encourage them to engage in the attendance chart activity as they enter. The session begins with a welcome song to greet each child. One Family Literacy Associate reads a story and engages the children and parents in previously learned nursery rhymes, finger plays, and songs. The other Family Literacy Associate assists in these activities. Interactive Discussion: Parent and Family Literacy Associate

Parents share their experiences with the at-home activity from the previous session.

The Family Literacy Associate:

Expected Outcome For Week 8 Session 2

• Encourages the children to select their own activities.

Parents will better understand that meal time is an opportunity to:

• Facilitates play and language development for children engaged in dramatic play, by using mealtime props.

• Pass on family values, culture, and strengthen relationships. • Help their children acquire information about a variety of topics.

30 minutes

Small Group Session: Child and Family Literacy Associate

• Support children’s language and vocabulary development. • Talk about nutritious foods. The Family Literacy Associate will: • Facilitate a discussion where parents remember and share their most memorable mealtime experience and what made them special. • Make connections between mealtimes as opportunities to pass on values and to develop traditions. • Lead a discussion about mealtime as an opportunity for children to learn language and literacy skills. • Help parents identify a list of appropriate topics for discussion during mealtimes. • Summarize and share the research on the correlation between mealtime conversation and children’s language development. (Beals and DeTemple, 1993) (Beals and Snow, 1994)

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Interactive Literacy Activity

30 minutes

Parents interact with their children in the children’s area.. The Family Literacy Associates support parents and children as they prepare a simple snack, such as fruit salad or egg salad. Conversations will be about food preparation as well as other topics of interest to children. As the Interactive Literacy Activity ends, the Family Literacy Associates: • Encourage parents to ask clarifying questions • Provide parents with a copy of the recipe to read to children at home as they prepare the snack together. Clean-up and Closing Activity

• Parents, children, and staff sing the clean-up song.

25 minutes

• The children participate in the clean-up process. • One Family Literacy Associate reads a story. • Parents, children, and staff sing the goodbye song. • Parents and children have the opportunity to borrow books from the Lending Library. Continuity Take-Home Materials

15 minutes

The Family Literacy Associates provide parents with children’s cooking utensils and an appropriate book such as, Ten Red Apples by Pat Hutchins, or The Very Hungry Caterpillar by Eric Carle. The Family Literacy Associates demonstrate the use of the continuity take-home materials and support parents in identifying the connection to the session’s activities. Parents are encouraged to share these materials with their children on an ongoing basis.

Suggested Books: Carle, Eric. (1994). Philomel. The Very Hungry Caterpillar. Galdone, P. (1983). Clarion Books. The Gingerbread Boy. Hutchins, Pat. (2000). Greenwillow. Ten Red Apples.

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Getting Your Child Ready to Read Promoting a Lifelong Love of Learning Studies have demonstrated that early readers come from homes where parents read to children often, illustrating how oral language serves as a companion for reading and writing. —William Teale

Week 9 Session 1 TIME

TIME FOR: Welcome

20 minutes

Parents and children engage in the attendance chart activity as they enter. The Family Literacy Associates welcome each parent and child. The session begins with a welcome song to greet each child. One Family Literacy Associate reads a story and engages the children and parents in the previously learned nursery rhymes, finger plays, and/or songs. The other Family Literacy Associate assists in these activities. Interactive Discussion: Parent and Family Literacy Associate

Small Group Session: Child and Family Literacy Associate

Parents share their experiences with the continuity take-home materials from the previous session.

The Family Literacy Associate:

Expected Outcome For Week 9 Session 1

• Encourages the children to explore the new books that have been added to the children’s area.

Parents will better understand: • Language development is supported by book sharing. • Ways to effectively share books with their children. The Family Literacy Associate will:

30 minutes

• Display a picture of a grandparent and child sharing a book and engages the parents in a discussion on the value of this activity. • Show the video, “Talking and Books,” developed by The Washington Research Institute. Stops the video at the end of each section to engage the parents in a discussion on supporting language development by sharing books. • Summarize the three strategies as suggested in the video as indicated below: Comment and wait. Ask questions and wait. Respond by adding a little more.

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• Encourages the children to select their own activities.

Interactive Literacy Activity

30 minutes

Parents interact with their children in the children’s area. The Family Literacy Associates encourage parents to “lap” read to their children. Parents may support their children’s language development by engaging them in conversation around the books. As the Interactive Literacy Activity ends, the Family Literacy Associates: • Encourage parents to ask clarifying questions • Provide parents with copies of a handout outling the CAR strategies. Clean-up and Closing Activity

• Parents, children, and staff sing the clean-up song.

25 minutes

• The children participate in the clean-up process. • One Family Literacy Associate reads a story. • Parents, children, and staff sing the goodbye song. • Parents and children have the opportunity to borrow books from the Lending Library. Continuity Take-Home Materials

15 minutes

• The Family Literacy Associates remind parents to continue reciting nursery rhymes and finger plays at home with their children. • Parents are asked to practice commenting on the pictures and/or text in the books they read to their children. • Parents are asked to find another person to take a photo of them sharing a book with their children.

Suggested Books: Brown, Margaret Wise. (1977). HarperTrophy. Goodnight Moon. Shannon, David. (1998). Blue Sky Press. No, David. Wells, Rosemary. (1999). Scholastic Paperbacks. Read to Your Bunny.

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Getting Your Child Ready to Read Promoting a Lifelong Love of Learning The single most important activity for building the knowledge required for eventual success in reading is reading aloud to children. —Richard C. Anderson, Elfrieda H. Hibert, & Ian A. G. Wilkinson, “Becoming a Nation of Readers: The Report of the Commission on Reading”

Week 9 Session 2 TIME

TIME FOR: Welcome

20 minutes

Parents and children engage in the attendance chart activity as they enter. The Family Literacy Associates welcome each parent and child and encourage the child to select a book to share with his/her parent. Parents are encouraged to support their children’s language development by commenting on the text and/or pictures. The session begins with a welcome song to greet each child. The Family Literacy Associates engage the children and parents in the previously learned nursery rhymes, finger plays, and/or songs. Interactive Discussion: Parent and Family Literacy Associate

Small Group Session: Child and Family Literacy Associate

Parents share their experiences with at-home activity from the previous session.

The Family Literacy Associate:

Expected Outcome For Week 9 Session 2 Parents will better understand: • The value of reading aloud to their children. • Ways to read-aloud effectively. The Family Literacy Associate will: • Read the book Read to Your Bunny by Rosemary Wells. This book demonstrates the value of reading aloud.

30 minutes

• Engage the parents in a discussion about the value of reading aloud. • Assist the parents with developing a chart that may include the following:

Reading Aloud • Develops a love of books. • Adds to background knowledge. • Builds vocabulary. • Teaches children that reading is left to right. • Teaches children that words and pictures carry a message. • Teaches children where a word begins and ends. Continued on next page.

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• Encourages the children to select their own activities. • Supports the children in holding books, turning pages, and looking at and talking about the pictures.

Interactive Discussion: Parent and Family Literacy Associate continued

• Engage the parents in a discussion on how to read aloud effectively. • Share a list of tips on how to read aloud effectively which may begin as follows: – Sit close to your child. – Read with expression. Interactive Literacy Activity

30 minutes

Parents interact with their children in the children’s area. The Family Literacy Associates encourage parents to read to their children. Parents may implement some of the tips discussed during the Interactive Literacy Activity, and continue to comment on the pictures and/or text in the book. As the Interactive Literacy Activity ends, the Family Literacy Associates: • Encourage parents to ask clarifying questions. • Provide parents with a copy of tips on how to read aloud effectively. Clean-up and Closing Activity

• Parents, children, and staff sing the clean-up song.

25 minutes

• The children participate in the clean-up process. • One Family Literacy Associate reads a story and models the practice of supporting language development by commenting on the text and/or pictures. • Parents, children, and staff sing the goodbye song. • Parents and children have the opportunity to borrow books from the Lending Library. Continuity Take-Home Materials

15 minutes

The Family Literacy Associates provide parents with “A Child Becomes A Reader, Birth through Preschool” by RMC Research Corporation and a book to read aloud, which will become a part of the child’s at-home library. The Family Literacy Associates demonstrate the use of the continuity take-home materials and support parents in identifying the connection to the session’s activities.

Suggested Books: Bailey, Debbie. (1999). Annick Press. Shoes. Carle, Eric. (1999). HarperFestival. From Head to Toe. Wells, Rosemary. (1999). Scholastic Paperbacks. Read to Your Bunny.

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Getting Your Child Ready to Write How Do Children Get Ready to Write? The affinity for marking seems to be related in important ways to children’s growing awareness of themselves as agents, as people who can make things happen. In the case of a toddler’s markings, the child is leaving a trace behind. This notion of trace is an important aspect of writing. —Sulzby, Teale, and Kambereli

Week 10 Session 1 TIME

TIME FOR: Welcome

20 minutes

Parents and children engage in the attendance chart activity as they enter. The Family Literacy Associates welcome each parent and child and encourage the child to select a book to share with his/her parent. Parents are encouraged to support their children’s language development by Commenting and waiting, Asking questions and waiting, and Responding by adding a little more. The session begins with a welcome song to greet each child. The Family Literacy Associates engage the children and parents in the previously learned nursery rhymes, finger plays, and/or songs. Interactive Discussion: Parent and Family Literacy Associate

Small Group Session: Child and Family Literacy Associate

Parents share their experiences with the continuity take-home activity from the previous session.

The Family Literacy Associate:

Expected Outcome For Week 10, Session 1

• Introduces children to new fine motor development materials that have been added to the room.

Parents will better understand: • Writing is an important skill. • Ways to support their children’s fine motor skills development for writing.

30 minutes

• Encourages the children to select their own activities.

• Support children’s language development as they play by: Commenting and waiting,

The Family Literacy Associate will:

Asking questions and waiting, and

• Engage the parents in an activity that demonstrates the importance of writing.

Responding by adding a little more.

• Display a variety of tools and engages parents in a discussion on how they support the development of eye-hand coordination, dexterity, and fine muscles of the hands, e.g. primary pencils, crayons, paintbrushes, clay, pegs and peg boards, beads and string, little vehicles, and puzzles. • Provide each parent with an index card and a pencil, and ask each parent to write his/her name with the hand he/she does not usually use. Continued on next page.

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Interactive Discussion: Parent and Family Literacy Associate continued

• Engage parents in a discussion about how it feels to write with the less preferred hand. • Engage parents in a discussion on how it might feel to be a child learning to write. Interactive Literacy Activity

50 minutes

Parents interact with their children in the children’s area. The Family Literacy Associates support the parents as they engage the children in activities that promote the development of fine muscles of the hands. For example, using individual trays filled with colored sand and tongue depressors that children use to “write.” As the Interactive Literacy Activity ends, the Family Literacy Associates: • Encourage parents to ask clarifying questions. • Provide parents with a list of tools and objects that support fine muscle development of the hand. Clean-up and Closing Activity

• Parents, children, and staff sing the clean-up song.

20 minutes

• The children participate in the clean-up process. • One Family Literacy Associate reads a story. • Parents, children, and staff sing the goodbye song. • Parents and children have the opportunity to borrow books from the Lending Library. At-Home Activity

25 minutes

• The Family Literacy Associates remind parents to continue reciting nursery rhymes and finger plays at home with their children. • Parents are asked to engage their children with fine muscle development activities at home. • Parents are asked to take one to two photos of their children using tools and materials that support fine muscle development.

Suggested Books: Faulkner, Keith. (2002). Cartwheel. The Five Senses. Johnson, Crockett. (1981). HarperTrophy. Harold and the Purple Crayon. Penn, Audrey. (1993). Child and Family Press. The Kissing Hand.

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Getting Your Child Ready to Write How Do Children Get Ready to Write? By age two or three, children begin to develop a degree of print awareness as they experience people around them reading, writing, and using the printed word for many purposes. —Learning to Read and Write: Developmentally Appropriate Practices for Young Children, 2000

Week 10 Session 2 TIME

TIME FOR: Welcome

20 minutes

Parents and children engage in the attendance chart activity as they enter. The Family Literacy Associates welcome each parent and child, and encourage the child to select a book to share with his/her parent. Parents are encouraged to support their children’s language development by Commenting and waiting, Asking questions and waiting, and Responding by adding a little more. The session begins with a welcome song to greet each child. The Family Literacy Associates engage the children and parents in the previously learned nursery rhymes, finger plays, and/or songs. Interactive Discussion: Parent and Family Literacy Associate

Small Group Session: Child and Family Literacy Associate

Parents share their experiences with the at-home activity from the previous session.

The Family Literacy Associate:

Expected Outcome For Week 10, Session 2 • Stages of writing development.

• Be writing models by labeling things in the room or by pointing out children’s names on work displayed in the room.

• Ways to support their children’s emergent writing.

• Support children’s language development as they play by:

Parents will better understand:

Commenting and waiting,

The Family Literacy Associate will:

30 minutes

• Encourages the children to select their own activities.

Asking questions and waiting, and

• Display samples of writing, which represent the stages of writing from scribbling to conventional print.

Responding by adding a little more.

• Engage the parents in the reading of a passage written by a child using temporary/inventive spelling. • Engage parents in a discussion about the background knowledge this child may have that enabled him/her to reach that stage of writing development. For example, the child may know that letters make up words, and that there are spaces between words. Continued on next page.

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Interactive Discussion: Parent and Family Literacy Associate continued

• Develop with the parents a list of tips for supporting emergent writing that would include: – Reading aloud. – Telling stories. – Having conversations. – Writing down what children say. – Modeling writing. – Pointing out words and letters. Interactive Literacy Activity

30 minutes

Parents interact with their children in the children’s area. The Family Literacy Associates support the parents as they engage with their children in finger painting. The parents may notice that their children are at a particular stage of writing. As the Interactive Literacy Activity ends, the Family Literacy Associates: • Encourage parents to ask clarifying questions. • Provide parents with a list of ways to support their children’s writing. • Ask parents to bring their cameras in for developing on their next scheduled session. Clean-up and Closing Activity

• Parents, children, and staff sing the clean-up song.

25 minutes

• The children participate in the clean-up process. • One Family Literacy Associate reads a story and models by Commenting and waiting, Asking questions and waiting, and Responding by adding a little more. • Parents, children, and staff sing the goodbye song. • Parents and children have the opportunity to borrow books from the Lending Library. Continuity Take-Home Activity

15 minutes

The Family Literacy Associates provide parents with primary pencils, crayons, or markers, and the book Harold and the Purple Crayon by Crockett Johnson. The Family Literacy Associates demonstrate the use of the continuity take-home materials and support parents in identifying the connection to the session’s activities. Parents are encouraged to share these materials with their children on an ongoing basis.

Suggested Books: Johnson, Crockett. (1981). HarperTrophy. Harold and the Purple Crayon. Seuss, Dr. (1996). Random House Books for Young Readers. ABC: An Amazing Alphabet Book. Wells, Rosemary. (1996). Candlewick. My Very First Mother Goose.

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What Can I Do To Prepare My Child for School Success? Getting My Child Ready for School Play is necessary for the preschool child in that it provides them with the social and self-regulatory skills needed for learning complex information. —Lev Vygotsky

Week 11 Session 1 TIME

TIME FOR: Welcome

20 minutes

Parents and children engage in the attendance chart activity as they enter. The Family Literacy Associates welcome each parent and child, and encourage the child to select a book to share with his/her parent. Parents are encouraged to support their children’s language development by Commenting and waiting, Asking questions and waiting, and Responding by adding a little more. The session begins with a welcome song to greet each child. The Family Literacy Associates engage the children and parents in the nursery rhymes, finger plays, and/or songs. Interactive Discussion: Parent and Family Literacy Associate

Small Group Session: Child and Family Literacy Associate

Parents share their experiences with the continuity take-home activity from the previous session.

The Family Literacy Associate:

Expected Outcome For Week 11, Session 1

• Encourages children to work and play independently and in small groups when developmentally appropriate

Parents will better understand: • How prekindergarten experiences support children’s development in the four learning domains. • Requirements for admission to prekindergarten.

30 minutes

• Encourages the children to select their own activities.

• Support children’s language development as they play by: Commenting and waiting, Asking questions and waiting, and Responding by adding a little more.

• Services of other early childcare facilities in the neighborhood. • Activities that support school readiness. The Family Literacy Associate will: • Distribute copies of the “Welcome to Pre-K” pamphlet developed by the New York City Department of Education, Office of Early Childhood Education. • Engage parents in reading and discussing the pamphlet, which includes definitions of physical, social-emotional, cognitive, and creative expression/aesthetic development. Continued on next page.

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Interactive Discussion: Parent and Family Literacy Associate continued

• Use the pictures and captions to engage parents in a discussion on how prekindergarten supports development in the four learning domains. • Share prekindergarten admission requirement information with parents related to immunization, residence, and age. • Share a list of other early childcare facilities in the neighborhood. • Distribute and review literature gathered from other early childcare facilities in the neighborhood to familiarize parents with possible options for their children. • Demonstrate some readiness activities, which address seriating, memory, visual discrimination, and categorization. Interactive Literacy Activity

Parents interact with their children in the children’s area. The Family Literacy Associates support the parents as they engage with their children in readiness activities.

30 minutes

As the Interactive Literacy Activity ends, the Family Literacy Associates: • Encourage parents to ask clarifying questions. • Provide parents with a copy of “Welcome to Pre-K” and a list of neighborhood early childcare facilities. • Provide parents with a handout which describes several readiness activities. Clean-up and Closing Activity

• Parents, children, and staff sing the clean-up song.

25 minutes

• The children participate in the clean-up process. • One Family Literacy Associate reads a story and models the CAR technique. • Parents, children, and staff sing the goodbye song. • Parents and children have the opportunity to borrow books from the Lending Library. At-Home Activity

15 minutes

• The Family Literacy Associates remind parents to continue reciting nursery rhymes and finger plays at home with their children. • Parents will be asked to review the materials they received this session. • Parents are reminded to bring in their disposable cameras for the next session.

Suggested Books: Penn, Audrey. (1993). Child and Family Press. The Kissing Hand. Shannon, David. (1999). Blue Sky Press. David Goes to School. Bourgeois, Paulette. (1995). Scholastic Paperbacks. Franklin Goes to School. 53

What Can I Do To Prepare My Child for School Success? Getting My Child Ready for School Your child’s ability to begin reading instruction once he or she enters school will depend to a great extent on what you have done before school starts. Readiness for reading…begins for your child in the home, and you are the most important stimulus in your child’s progress towards preparation for reading instruction in school. —The International Reading Association, “Your Home is Your Child’s First School” Brochure

Week 11 Session 2 TIME

TIME FOR: Welcome

20 minutes

Parents and children engage in the attendance chart activity as they enter. The Family Literacy Associates welcome each parent and child, and encourage the child to select a book to share with his/her parent. Parents are encouraged to support their children’s language development by Commenting and waiting, Asking questions and waiting, and Responding by adding a little more. The session begins with a welcome song to greet each child. The Family Literacy Associates engage the children and parents in the previously learned nursery rhymes, finger plays, and/or songs. Interactive Discussion: Parent and Family Literacy Associate

Small Group Session: Child and Family Literacy Associate

Parents share their experiences with the at-home activity from the previous session.

The Family Literacy Associate:

Expected Outcome For Week 11, Session 2 Parents will better understand: • Separation anxiety as a normal emotion for children going to school. • Ways to support their children who may be anxious about leaving their parents to go to school.

30 minutes

• Ways to help their children get ready for a successful school experience. The Family Literacy Associate will: • Engage the parents in a discussion on what they remember about their early school experiences. • Read the book The Runaway Bunny by Margaret Wise Brown, which addresses the issue of separation. • Engage the parents in a discussion of the story and facilitate a discussion on practical, reasonable, and appropriate strategies they may employ if separation becomes an issue. Continued on next page.

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• Encourages the children to select their own activities. • Encourages children to work and play independently and in small groups, when developmentally appropriate • Support children’s language development as they play by: Commenting and waiting, Asking questions and waiting, and Responding by adding a little more.

Interactive Discussion: Parent and Family Literacy Associate continued

• Look through the NYCELL curriculum guide; select five to six quotations; and display them on a chart. • Engage the parents in a discussion on each quotation and its relevance to building a foundation for future school success. • Assist the parents in completing a cloze activity, which may look like this: 1. I read aloud to my child every ________. 2. It is important to ___________ to a child a lot. 3. I can help my child’s brain to grow by letting him/her use his/her five __________. 4. My child learns by __________ing. 5. When I play with my child, I can c_____________, ask a question and respond by _____________ a little more. 6. A great place to take my child often is the ___________________.

Interactive Literacy Activity

30 minutes

Parents interact with their children in the children’s area. The Family Literacy Associates will support parents as they draw upon their relationship of how these developmentally appropriate activities are helping to prepare their children for prekindergarten or other early childcare experiences. When reading a book the parents may comment, ask questions, and respond. As the Interactive Literacy Activity ends, the Family Literacy Associates: • Encourage parents to ask clarifying questions. • Distribute a bibliography of books which addresses separation. Clean-up and Closing Activity

• Parents, children, and staff sing the clean-up song.

25 minutes

• The children participate in the clean-up process. • One Family Literacy Associate reads a story and models the CAR technique. • Parents, children, and staff sing the goodbye song. • Parents and children have the opportunity to borrow books from the Lending Library.

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Continuity At-Home Activity

15 minutes

The Family Literacy Associates provide the parents with one book on the theme of separation: The Runaway Bunny by Margaret Wise Brown. The Family Literacy Associates demonstrate the use of the continuity take-home materials and support parents in identifying the connection to the session’s activities. Parents are encouraged to share these materials with their children on an ongoing basis.

Suggested Books: Brown, Margaret Wise. (1977). HarperTrophy. The Runaway Bunny. Corey, Dorothy. (1976). Albert Whitman and Co. You Go Away. Shannon, David. (1999). Blue Sky Press. David Goes to School.

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A Celebration of Our Learning Continuing to Learn as We Grow Young children develop talking, reading, and writing skills from infancy through: • Social interaction with adults. • Experiences with literacy materials, such as books, paper, pictures, markers, etc. —BrainWonders, How Does Literacy Develop?

Week 12 Session 1 TIME

TIME FOR: Welcome

20 minutes

Parents and children engage in the attendance chart activity as they enter. The Family Literacy Associates welcome each parent and child, and encourage the child to select a book to share with his/her parent. Parents are encouraged to support their children’s language development by Commenting and waiting, Asking questions and waiting, and Responding by adding a little more. The session begins with a welcome song to greet each child. The Family Literacy Associates engage the children and parents in the previously learned nursery rhymes, finger plays, and/or songs. Interactive Discussion: Parent and Family Literacy Associate

Small Group Session: Child and Family Literacy Associate

Parents share their experiences with the continuity take-home materials from the previous session.

The Family Literacy Associate:

Expected Outcome For Week 12, Session 1

• Supports the children as they engage in activities by building upon their individual strengths and interests.

Parents will: • Create a scrapbook which will chronicle their children’s participation and growth in the NYCELL program. The Family Literacy Associate will:

30 minutes

• Engage and support parents in remembering the things they have talked about while participating in the NYCELL program. • Record the parents responses in a list form, which may begin as follows:

We Talked About: • language • the brain • reading aloud

• • • •

playing talking chores writing

Continued on next page.

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• Encourages the children to select their own activities.

• Supports the children as they interact with each other and with materials.

Interactive Discussion: Parent and Family Literacy Associate continued

• Distribute scrapbooks and the developed photos that parents have taken over the past several weeks as part of the at-home activities. • Support parents as they insert photos in the scrapbooks. • Support parents as they create captions for their pictures. • Provide parents with pre-printed labels, prepared in advance, which parents may add to the scrapbook. Interactive Literacy Activity

30 minutes

Parents interact with their children in the children’s area. Parents are encouraged to share the completed scrapbooks with their children. As the Interactive Literacy Activity ends, the Family Literacy Associates: • Encourage parents to ask clarifying questions. • Remind parents that they have one session left to participate in the program. Clean-up and Closing Activity

• Parents, children, and staff sing the clean-up song.

25 minutes

• The children participate in the clean-up process. • One Family Literacy Associate reads a story and models the CAR technique. • Parents, children, and staff sing the goodbye song. • Parents and children have the opportunity to borrow books from the Lending Library. At-Home Activity

15 minutes

• The Family Literacy Associates remind parents to continue reciting nursery rhymes and finger plays at home with their children. • Parents will be asked to continue sharing the scrapbook with their children.

Suggested Books: Dabcovich, Lydia. (1985). Puffin Books. Sleepy Bear. Eastman, P. D. (1960). Random House Books for Young Readers. Are You My Mother? Swan Miller, Sara. (2004). Houghton Mifflin. Three Stories You Can Read to Your Teddy Bear.

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A Celebration of Our Learning Continuing to Learn as We Grow Children reared in families where parents provide rich language and literacy supports do better in school than those who are not. —Hart and Risel

Week 12 Session 2 TIME

TIME FOR: Welcome

20 minutes

Parents and children engage in the attendance chart activity as they enter. The Family Literacy Associates welcome each parent and child, and encourage the child to select a book to share with his/her parent. Parents are encouraged to support their children’s language development by Commenting and waiting, Asking questions and waiting, and Responding by adding a little more, as discussed in previous sessions. The session begins with a welcome song to greet each child. The Family Literacy Associates engage the children and parents in the previously learned nursery rhymes, finger plays, and/or songs. Interactive Discussion: Parent and Family Literacy Associate

Small Group Session: Child and Family Literacy Associate

Parents share their experiences with the at-home activity from the previous session.

The Family Literacy Associate:

Expected Outcome For Week 12, Session 2

• Encourage children to explore books.

Parents will: • Articulate something new that they have learned over the past 12 sessions. • Articulate something that they have noticed about their child’s growth or new interests as a result of their participation in the NYCELL program.

30 minutes

• Encourages the children to select their own activities.

The Family Literacy Associate will: • Share the group scrapbook that was compiled using the photographs taken throughout the program and comment on the “learning” that is depicted on each page. • Invite each parent to share the book that he/she has compiled and to talk about their child’s growth during the program. • Thank each parent for participating and present them with a certificate. • Distribute a bound book of nursery rhymes, finger plays, and songs to each parent and remind them to continue to recite and sing with their children.

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• Support the children’s language development as they play by: Commenting and waiting, Asking questions and waiting, and Responding by adding a little more.

Interactive Literacy Activity

60 minutes

Parents, children, and staff participate in a closing celebration and feast. As the Interactive Literacy Activity ends, the Family Literacy Associates: • Encourage parents to ask clarifying questions. Clean-up and Closing Activity

• Parents, children, and staff sing the clean-up song. • The children participate in the clean-up process.

20 minutes

• One Family Literacy Associate reads a story and models the CAR technique. • Each parent is presented with a NYCELL tote bag. • The Family Literacy Associate reviews the contents of the bag. • Parents are reminded to continue the practices they have discussed during the 12 weeks. • Parents, children, and staff sing the goodbye song.

Suggested Books: Martin, Bill Jr. (1996). Henry Holt and Co. Brown Bear, Brown Bear, What Do You See? Marzollo, Jean. (2003). Scholastic Press. You Are Special, Little One. Murphy, Mary. (1997). Egmont Books. I Like It When.

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References and Resources Books that Address Separation Anxiety and Transition Into School Bourgeois, Paulette. (1995). Scholastic Paperbacks. Franklin Goes to School. Brown, Margaret Wise. (1977). HarperTrophy. The Runaway Bunny. Cohen, Miriam. (1989). Aladdin Library. Will I Have a Friend? Corey, Dorothy. (1976). Albert Whitman and Co. You Go Away. Horse, Harry. (2002). Peachtree Publishers. Little Rabbit Lost. Howe, James. (1994). Morrow/Avon. When You Go to Kindergarten. Munsch, Robert. (1995). Firefly Books. Love You Forever. Penn, Audrey. (1993). Child and Family Press. The Kissing Hand. Shannon, David. (1999). Blue Sky Press. David Goes to School. Tafuri, Nancy. (1998). Scholastic Press. I Love You, Little One. Tafuri, Nancy. (2003). Scholastic Press. You Are Special, Little One. Udry, Janice May. (1991). Scholastic Inc. What Mary Jo Shared.

Books that Build Literacy with Love Infants (Birth to 1)

Bang, Molly. (1983). Greenwillow Books. Ten Nine Eight. Brown, Margaret Wise. (1977). HarperTrophy. Goodnight Moon. Crews, Donald. (1991). HarperTrophy. Truck. Greenfield, Eloise. (1991). Writers & Readers Publishing. I Make Music. Hill, Eric. (2003). Grosset and Dunlap. Spot Counts from 1 to 10. Hill, Eric. (2003). Grosset and Dunlap. Spot Looks at Colors. Hill, Eric. (2003). Grosset and Dunlap. Spot’s First Words. Holland, Brian, Smith Jr., Charles R., Dozier, Lamont and Holland Eddie. (2002). Hyperion. Sugar Pie Honey Bunch. Intrater, Roberta Grobel. (2000). Scholastic, Inc. Two Eyes, a Nose, and a Mouth. Landis, Beth. (2002). DK Publishing. Baby’s World Shaped Board: Bathtime. Martin, Bill Jr. (1996). Henry Holt and Co. Brown Bear, Brown Bear, What Do You See? Miller, Margaret. (1998). Little Simon. Baby Faces. Morris, Ann. (1998). HarperTrophy. Tools. Oxenbury, Helen. (1999). Little Simon. All Fall Down. Oxenbury, Helen. (1999). Little Simon. Clap Hands. Oxenbury, Helen. (1999). Little Simon. Say Goodnight. Smith Jr., Charles R. (2002). Hyperion. How Sweet It Is to Be Loved by You.

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Toddlers (1 to 3)

Aliki. (1991). HarperTrophy. My Five Senses. Brown, Margaret Wise. (1977). HarperTrophy. Goodnight Moon. Carle, Eric. (1999). Harper Festival. From Head to Toe. Carle, Eric. (1994). Philomel. The Very Hungry Caterpillar. Cowley, Joy. (1999). Philomel. Mrs. Wishy-Washy. Crews, Donald. (1992). HarperTrophy. Freight Train. Ehlert, Lois. (1999). Rebound by Sagebrush. Planting a Rainbow. Greenfield, Eloise. (1991). Writers and Readers Publishing. My Daddy and I… Hoban, Tana. (1983). Scholastic Inc. I Read Signs. Joosse, Barbara M. (1998). Chronicle Books. Mama, Do You Love Me? Marcus, Pfister. (1992). Nord-Sud Verlag. The Rainbow Fish. Martin, Bill Jr. (1997). Henry Holt and Co. Polar Bear, Polar Bear, What Do You Hear? Metropolitan Museum of Art. (2002). Little, Brown. Museum ABC. Parr, Todd. (2002). Megan Tingley. The Daddy Book. Rathmann, Peggy. (1996). Putnam Juvenile. Goodnight, Gorilla. Petrie, Catherine A. (1999). Children’s Press. Joshua James Likes Trucks. Piper, Watty. (1990). Grosset and Dunlap. The Little Engine That Could. Weiss, Nicki. (1990). Puffin Books. Where Does Brown Bear Go?

Recommended Web Sites Parent Resources Cool Culture Cultural Events in New York City www.cool-culture.org Zero to Three National Center for Infants, Toddlers, and Families www.zerotothree.org New York Public Library Manhattan, Bronx, and Staten Island www.nypl.org Brooklyn Public Library www.brooklynpubliclibrary.org

Queens Borough Public Library www.queenslibrary.org Healthy Child Care Health and Safety Ideas for the Young Child www.healthychild.net Public Broadcasting Service Parent Resources www.pbs.org/parents New York City Department of Education www.nycenet.edu Office of Early Childhood Education New York City Department of Education www.nycenet.edu/earlychildhood

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Adult Literacy Literacy Partners Inc. Family Literacy www.literacypartners.org

Literacy Assistance Center Resources for Parents, Educators, and Caregivers www.lacnyc.org

IMANI HOUSE, Inc. Youth Development & Leadership, Adult Education, ESOL www.imanihouse.org

National Clearinghouse for English Language Acquisition Bilingual/ESL Resources: Literacy for LEP Students & Their Families www.literacycampus.org

Literacy, Inc. Community Based Organization Developing Literacy Networks www.lincnyc.org

National Center for Family Literacy www.famlit.org Proliteracy Worldwide www.proliteracy.org

Education Resources Armbruster, B.B., Lehr, F., and Osborn, J. (2002). Put Reading First: The Research Building Blocks for Teaching Children to Read: Kindergarten through Grade 3. DIANE Publishing Company. Armbruster, B.B., Lehr, F., and Osborn, J. (2002). Teaching Our Youngest: A Guide for Preschool Teachers and Child-Care and Family Providers. DIANE Publishing Company. Burns, M.S., Griffin, P., and Snow, C.E. (Eds.). (1999). Starting Out Right: A Guide to Promoting Children’s Reading Success. National Research Council. Gopnik, A., Meltzoff, A.N., and Kuhl, P.K. (2000). The Scientist in the Crib: What Early Learning Tells Us About the Mind. HarperCollins. Koplow, Lesley. (1996). Unsmiling Faces. Teacher’s College Press. Koralek, Derry. (2003). Spotlight on Young Children and Language. National Association for the Education of Young Children. Neuman, S.B., Copple, C., and Bredekamp, S. (1999). Learning to Read and Write: Developmentally Appropriate Practices for Young Children. National Association for the Education of Young Children. Neuman, S.B. and Dickerson, D.K. (Eds). (2003). Handbook of Literacy Research. Guilford Publications, Inc. Snow, C.E., Burns, M.S., and Griffin, P. (1998). Preventing Reading Difficulties in Young Children. National Academy Press.

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Parent Resources Barron, Marlene. (1997). I Learn To Read and Write the Way I Learn To Talk: A Very First Book About Whole Language. Richard C. Owens Publishing, Inc. The Partnership for Reading. (2003). A Child Becomes a Reader: Birth through Preschool. Apel, K. and Gallant, J. Beyond Baby Talk: From Sounds to Sentences, a Parent’s Complete Guide to Language Development. Three Rivers Press. Dyer, Laura, MCD. (2004). Look Who’s Talking! How to Enhance Your Childs Language Development, Starting at Birth. Meadowbrook Press. Hall, S.L. and Moats, L.C. (1998). Straight Talk About Reading: How Parents Can Make a Difference During the Early Years. NTC Publishing Group. Elkind, David. (2001). The Hurried Child: Growing Up Too Fast Too Soon. Basic Books. Manolson, A., Dodington, N., and Ward, B. (1995). You Make the Difference: In Helping Your Child Learn. The Hanen Center.

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