by Merlynne J Parker

Created on: February 21, 2008

My favorite college course was Child Development. Not that, at twenty-three, I planned on having children any time soon but as a Teacher at the local Head Start Program the insight into my students and their families was beyond measure. Language and literacy were top priority and incorporated into every area of our lesson plans.

A large part of the literacy program required sending home a weekly packet for each family to do together. The packet included a book, art pages, and a list of suggestions for making it a fun family project. I was so excited the first week we sent it home. I knew this was going to really expand the future for these kids by showing them how important literacy is from the very beginning.

The day after the packet went home I got a reality check. A mom asked to speak with me privately. She told me she hated the new packets because her reading skills were so bad she was embarrassed to read to her child. I was astounded. I assured her that her child wasn't judging her skills. Her child was just enjoying their time reading together and didn't even notice that there was a problem. She was emphatic. She would not use the packets.

Over the course of the day four more parents approached me with the same concerns. I quickly (and quietly) surveyed the rest of the parents. To my dismay, only four of the eighteen were enjoying the packets. The rest felt uncomfortable reading to their child due to being illiterate or near illiterate. With three of my families, the parents learned English as a second language as adults and couldn't read or write the language. They were the easy ones, books and material could be sent home in their native language. The other eleven required a more creative approach.

Together with rest of the staff and other professionals in our area we brainstormed some ideas to help not only the students, but the whole family to enjoy the literacy packets. Here are several of the ideas we used.

*It's important that someone read to/with your child. If you cannot, enlist the help of another family member, older sibling, grandparent, babysitter, or friend.

*Use a picture book (no text) and create a story of your own to tell your child. Give the book to your child and allow him or her to tell you a story.

*Take a walk. Point out signs and read what they say. If you see a sign over and over again like a stop sign, have your child tell you what it says. Reinforce the connection by spelling then saying the word. Example: s- t- o- p spells stop.

*Use

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