Family Literacy Night
Introduction
“Literacy enables the fulfillment of individual aspirations – defined goals such as successfully completing initial education or gaining employment as well as goals which are less defined and less immediate but nevertheless enrich one’s personal life and growth. Not surprisingly, reading literacy is an important component in the concept of human capital, which is linked to both the social and economic fate of individuals and nations” (OECD, 2001a). Thus, reading is a non-negotiable skill as it opens doors for students and allows them to navigate and access numerous opportunities such as higher education and employment. “The International Adult Literacy Survey (IALS) found that people with higher levels of reading literacy are more likely to be employed and to have higher average salaries than those with lower levels (OECD and Statistics Canada, 2000)” (Kirsch et al., 2002).
While the Common Core addresses the need for students to develop literacy skills, it doesn’t address how to build the love of reading. In an age that praises high tests, it may seem trivial to focus on developing a love for reading. However, this should not be overlooked as “pleasure reading is a more powerful predictor than even parental socioeconomic status and educational attainment” (Wilhelm, J. D., 2017). Thus, this immense responsibility of cultivating a love for reading falls to teachers and families.
Although it may seem simple to develop a love for reading in young students, early elementary educators and families face the challenges of competing against screens that easily captivate and entertain children. Furthermore, in kindergarten, reading is a developing skill and students often disengage due to their developing persistence. From my experience and observations of my students, they “often struggle to pay attention, but when they are given [any] task they view as challenging or hard, they are even more likely to give up before truly trying” (Reeves, D., 2015).
It was disheartening to see my young scholars, bored and I actively work to create a culture that celebrates reading and intentionally build in activities that encourage their interest and passion in reading. However, it is critical that the message translates from school to home which is why I teamed up with a fellow Johns Hopkins University candidate to create a parent night at our school that focuses on exposing them to different activities that nurture students’ love of reading.
Background Reseach
As mentioned, I partnered with a fellow Johns Hopkins candidate who is also the first-grade inclusion teacher at Kipapa Elementary School. We decided to partner together because our partnership provides kindergarten parents with access to the first-grade teacher their child might have the following year. Although this may seem like an easy thing to access since we are on the same campus, our event provides an organic and casual setting for families to talk, ask questions, and get to the know the first-grade teacher without the pressure of time since it occurred outside of school hours. Additionally, from our experience, we know that it can be challenging when students transition from kindergarten to first grade. Thus, throughout collaboration, we are creating another opportunity for families and students to become exposed to the teachers that will be working with their student, aware of the first-grade expectations, and also introduce students to another adult on campus that they go to for support. Through our event, we are also striving to create a more cohesive transition from first grade to kindergarten for our students.
In our planning PDF, readers will see that we met with our administration. Initially, we had a different focus for our parent session, however, through meetings with our principal (CY) and vice principal (LAS) and our research we decided to shift our focus. Our school's goal is to develop the love of reading in students. Through our research, Sullivan's and Brown's (2013) research “supports other work suggesting that children’s leisure reading is important for educational attainment and social mobility (Taylor 2011), and suggest that the mechanism for this is increased cognitive development…From a policy perspective, this strongly supports the need to support and encourage children’s reading in their leisure time, especially given that the available evidence on trends over time suggests that children’s reading for pleasure has declined in recent years (Clark and Rumbold 2006).” The validity from these resources guided us to create a literacy night that would provide families with engaging activities that would nurture the love of reading, and also give our families access to school personnel such as teachers and the vice principal.
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Pictured to the Left: Collaborative Notes
My partner and I utilized Google Docs to log down our meetings, notes, and timeline for our event. The PDF to the left is a compilation of all our records. We provide specific dates for our research, preparation, and execution. As readers navigate the document, they will see our planning process as we brainstorm, set up meetings, and make adjustments to activities based on research and discussion with our administration. We thought it was imperative to meet our administration and discuss details to ensure that we were sharing information that our school supported. Ideally, we would like to continue our parent literacy night every year so that parents can learn about activities they can bring home and make learning fun.
Family Outreach and Communication
The primary form of communication between home and school in my kindergarten class is in person and also through their homework folder. Students' homework folders are sent home every night with completed work from school, homework, and any communication between teachers and families. To honor this form of communication, my partner and I created invites that shared our goal of the event and the details. Additionally, since my students are five- and six-years-old, their family members drop them off in the morning and pick them up after school. Therefore, I talked to family members in the morning or after school about attending the event and also displayed it on our announcement board. Family members know that our announcement board contains valuable information and they regularly check it since student work, like the calendars, is also displayed.
We sent out the invites on Tuesday, March 6th, three weeks before the event. Follow up invites were sent on Monday, March 12th with two weeks before the event. Although three weeks may seem like too far in advance to send out emails, we wanted to be respectful of our families time and also ensure they had enough time to request off from their place of work. Additionally, our research on our families professions shows that many of them hold jobs that would require them to find someone else to take over their shift. Thus, we estimated that three weeks would be adequate to provide all families time to figure out if they could attend.
Pictured Above: Literacy night invite displayed in the top right corner on our announcement board, along with other important information for families.
Pictured Above: Literacy night invite that was sent home to kindergarten and first-grade families.
Pictured Above: Signed literacy night invites from families. Names are blocked out to respect their privacy.
Event Activies
The below photos are from the event and the PDFs are materials that were used at the event. My co-worker and I decided to create three events for our families. The three events included; building trackers, sight word building activities, and a reading comprehension game. Since it was our first family literacy night, we had an intimate group of people which allowed us to have conversations with families about what they currently do at home and how they can integrate our games into their time with their students.
Pictured to the Left: Literacy night lesson plan.
My colleague and I created a lesson plan to ensure that our objective was clear and that the time spent our families was purposeful and aligned with the goal.
Through the creation of the lesson plan, we were able to integrate kindergarten and first grade standards so we could share with families that the activities supported their child's development towards mastering Common Core standards. Sharing how our fun activities aligned to the Common Core standards excited families because they did not know activities could provide opportunities for students to progress towards mastering the standards.
Pictured to the Left: PowerPoint that was created for the event.
Due to pressure to reach a certain Fountas & Pinnell reading level by the end of kindergarten and first-grade, the joy of reading often gets pushed aside. Therefore, it felt important to us that we began our presentation with an opening slide that reminded our families that the goal of the event is to share engaging strategies that will build the love of reading.
The PowerPoint was also created to guide the event so parents could reference directions or refer to research we shared that supported the activities we were doing. We also printed out copies for each family so that they could take the resource home.
Pictured Above: My colleague and I facilitating the event. Stars are placed on family members faces to protect their privacy.
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Although our event was intimate, it was exciting that we were able to bring kindergarten and first-grade families together. Families were able to talk to teachers from different grade levels and also interact with each other, learning about other student's experiences in kindergarten and first-grade.
Event Activity: Building Trackers
Pictured Above: A student proudly displays the trackers he created with his family. The trackers shown are designed by students and family members. Family members helped their students build trackers with the materials provided.
We chose to include a tracking activity because tracking is a crucial skill to strengthen in developing readers. “To read proficiently student[s] must not only know the individual sound but must process the letters in order left-to-right. Correct phonological processing requires proper directional tracking…[Tracking] helps students look at and process the individual sounds within words and trains their eyes to work linearly, left to right” (Reading Strategies: Decoding, n.d.). Furthermore, in both of our classrooms, we have noticed that students tend to skip over letters and words because they are trying to read fast. We also chose this activity because our young scholars love to use the pointers in class so we decided to use our knowledge of their excitement and interest in the classroom and create something they can use at home. During our event, students practiced tracking the print in the book they brought with their family members. Family members commented that the trackers helped their students focus and read each word.
Event Activities: Fun with Sight Words
The Common Core states that kindergarteners and first-graders should be able to read basic high-frequency words, or sight words, by sight. It is crucial that students can identify sight words because they words “occur so often in text[s] [that] learning to recognize them quickly will speed up the reading process so that students can focus more on the meaning of the text” (Foorman, B., 2016). When students can focus on the message is trying to convey, reading will become more enjoyable because they will be able to understand the plot better and also will not get frustrated when they come across sight words that they cannot decode.
We chose to introduce two sight word activities that are grade-level appropriate. The first one is building sight words with beads and pipe cleaners and the second activity is sight word bingo.
Pictured Above: Building sight words using beads and pipe cleaners is a fun way for students to engage in tactile learning.
Our first activity was building sight words using beads and pipe cleaners. We picked this activity because students can complete it independently or, they can make a game out of it with their family. During our event, we had parents pull sight word flashcards that we provided, and students then had to find the correct letter beads to build the sight word. Students and families loved this activity, and some of the students wore their sight words pipe cleaners as bracelets the next day. Family members appreciated that this activity could be done independently and liked that the sight word pipe cleaners could be turned into bracelets or necklaces, organically integrating sight words into their daily lives.
Pictured Above: Sight word bingo game cards. On the left is the kindergarten version and on the right the bingo card contains first grade sight words.
Our second activity was sight word bingo. My colleague and I created the sight word bingo cards. Both cards contained grade appropriate sight words. In kindergarten, we expect our students to be able to identify forty sight words by the end of kindergarten. Memorizing flashcards can get boring and repetitive. Thus, we chose bingo because our five-, six- and seven-years-old students love playing games especially when they are competitive. During the event, we facilitated the game and the student that was able to correctly identify the sight words and get bingo won a prize. We also printed bingo cards for our families so they could take it home and use it right away. Our families liked that they were shown an alternate path to learn sight words with their students. Many stated that they were only doing flashcards and the sight word homework worksheets. Both adults and students enjoyed playing the game.
Event Activity: Making Reading Comprehension Questions Fun
Pictured Above: Roll and Retell game sheet.
Fountas & Pinnell, F&P, reading assessments have two parts. The first part tests students on fluency and the second part assesses their comprehension skills. As our young scholars are still developing readers, many of them are so focused on decoding words or identifying sight words that they have a difficult time answering comprehension questions about the book. Therefore, we thought it was important to include a game that would support students reading comprehension interest and development.
We found the game online and at our event, we had families read with their students and then play the roll and retell game. During the event, we emphasized the value of reading with their students because “the importance of read-aloud events is their social interactiveness...The event gives the child both a model of adult reading and a support system during the child’s transition to independent reading” (Morrow, L.M. et al., 1990). Thus, reading with their students build comprehension skills that support students understanding of what they are reading. Furthermore, through the social interaction of asking their student questions, students will begin to develop a positive association with reading.
To play the game, students would roll the dice and based on the number they rolled, their family members would ask their student the question. The roll and retell game only focuses on the five "wh" question so, during our presentation, we also encouraged family members to ask inferential questions. Inferential questions are important because “inferential language instruction supports students’ ability to think analytically and to understand text that connects from multiple contexts” (Foorman, B., 2016, p.6), building a deeper understanding and connection to the text. We also encouraged parents to talk about unfamiliar words that they might come across when they're reading with their student to support students understanding of the text and also build their vocabulary.
Family Surveys
Pictured Above: Completed family reading night surveys. Names are blocked out to respect our families privacy.
Fountas & Pinnell, F&P, reading assessments have two parts. The first part tests students on fluency and the second part assesses their comprehension skills. As our young scholars are still developing readers, many of them are so focused on decoding words or identifying sight words that they have a difficult time answering comprehension questions about the book. Therefore, we thought it was essential to include a game that would support students reading comprehension interest and development.
We found the game online and at our event, we had families read with their students and then play the roll and retell game. During the event, we emphasized the value of reading with their students because “the importance of read-aloud events is their social interactiveness...The event gives the child both a model of adult reading and a support system during the child’s transition to independent reading” (Morrow, L.M. et al., 1990). Thus, reading with their students build comprehension skills that support students understanding of what they are reading. Furthermore, through the social interaction of asking their student questions, students will begin to develop a positive association with reading.
To play the game, students would toss the dice and based on the number they rolled; their family members would ask their student the question. The roll and retell game only focuses on the five "wh" question so, during our presentation, we also encouraged family members to ask inferential questions. Inferential questions are important because “inferential language instruction supports students’ ability to think analytically and to understand text that connects from multiple contexts” (Foorman, B., 2016, p.6), building a more in-depth understanding and connection to the text. We also encouraged parents to talk about unfamiliar words that they might come across when they're reading with their student to support students understanding of the book and also build their vocabulary.
Teacher Reflection
As an early educator, I believe it is my responsibility to provide my students and their families with access to opportunities that build literacy skills. Literacy skills are essential because “literacy skills not only influence participation in formal learning systems: there is also some evidence from the [IInternational Adult Literacy Survey] (IALS) data to suggest that this impact extends to informal learning as well (Desjardins, 2002). Participation in activities that are not related to work such as voluntary associations and civic involvement is an important source of social capital that also provide individuals with a source of informal learning, keeping them mentally active…the development of human capital is correlated with a variety of social benefits including improvements in health, lower crime rates and increased participation in community activities” (Kirsch, et al., 2002). Thus, to ensure my students have the advantage to be active and successful members of society, it is vital that they develop literacy skills.
REFERENCES
Foorman, B.; Beyler, N.; Borradaile, K.; Coyne, M.; Denton, C.A.; Dimino, J.; Furgeson, J.; Hayes, L.; Henke, J.; Justice, L.; Keating, B.; Lewis, W.; Sattar, S.; Streke, A.; Wagner, R.; Wissel, S. (July 2016). Foundational Skills to Support Reading for Understanding in Kindergarten Through 3rd Grade. Institute of Education Sciences: National Center for Education Evaluation and Regional Assistance, 1-123. Retrieved from https://files.eric.ed.gov/fulltext/ED566956.pdf
Kirsh, I., Jong, J., Lafontaine, D., McQueen, J., Mendelovits, J., and Monseur, C. (2002). Reading for Change Performance and Engagement Across Country. OECD. http://www.oecd.org/education/school/programmeforinternationalstudentassessmentpisa/33690904.pdf
Morrow, L.M., O’Connor, E.M., & Smith, J.K. (September 1, 1990). Effects of a Story Reading Program on the Literacy Development of At-Risk Kindergarten Children. Sage Journals: Journal Of Literacy Research, 22, 255-275. https://doi.org/10.1080/10862969009547710
Reading Strategies: Decoding. (n.d.). Retrieved March 25, 2018, from https://www.readinghorizons.com/reading-strategies/decoding/4-steps-from-decoding-strategies-to-reading-fluency
Sullivan, A. and Brown, M. (September 2013). Social inequalities in cognitive scores at age 16: The role of reading. Centre for Longitudinal Studies, Institute of Education, University of London, 37, retrieved from file:///Users/ericamorimoto/Downloads/CLS%20WP%202013%20(10)%20Social%20inequalities%20in%20cognitive%20scores%20at%20age%2016%20The%20role%20of%20reading%20-%20Alice%20Sullivan%20and%20Matt%20Brown%20Sept%202013.pdf
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Wilhelm, J.D. (October 29, 2017). The Benefits of Reading for Pleasure. Retrieved from https://www.edutopia.org/article/benefits-reading-pleasure.