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Parents Finding Noncommercial Active Learning Materials
| Name | Marlyne Walker | | Situation | Illiteracy often lies at the root of poverty, unemployment, poor health and criminal activity, causing a continuing drain on public tax dollars. More than 44 million Americans are illiterate. Out of that number, more than 780,000 of them are South Carolinians who cannot read well enough to follow a doctor’s instructions, vote in an election or enjoy a simple book with their child (National Adult Literacy Survey, commissioned by Congress, 1993). South Carolina now has the highest drop out rate in the
nation. In Newberry County, a distressing 37.8% of students dropped out and failed to graduate in 2000-2003 according to the 2005 Newberry Kids Count Report. Some of the specific challenges faced in this rural community involve teen parenthood (18.9% of babies are born to teen parents), single parenthood (48.8% of births), and children born to undereducated parents (32.3%). An astounding one third of our students drop out between eighth and twelfth grade each year. More than half of the adult population is either illiterate or low literate. Current statistics on the health problems that face youth and preschoolers indicate the need to improve child care nutrition and physical environment. The evidence is overwhelming. Reading at home is the single most important factor in school success. The issues of teen parenthood combined with low education levels and limited nutrition knowledge are
worsened by the fact that many of the young mothers are single with few positive role models. | | Response | In partnership with Newberry County School District, Newberry First Steps Program, the Parenting/Family Literacy Program, Newberry Adult Education and Newberry County, Clemson University Cooperative Extension Services
allowed the agent to work closely with Parenting /Family Literacy Program. This program has a family learning center which entails early childhood literacy, parenting classes and adult literacy/education classes. High parental involvement in activities such as reading, telling stories, singing and playing with infants and young children contributes to children’s language and literacy development. Parents as children’s first and foremost teachers have been helping children learn to read from birth. There is a natural link between nutrition, physical activity, and reading. Children are particularly interested in stories that describe and are connected to the events in their own lives such as: eating, playing sports, being active and family mealtime. Reading books that focus on preparing and eating healthy foods and being physically active may motive children to adopt positive food and physical activity
behaviors that last a lifetime. The agent provided strategies and activities to enhance the children’s literacy development through nutritious story time for preschoolers, hands-on activities such as designing bag books with teen parents and parents enrolled in adult education program, and interactive learning activities with parents and their preschoolers. The agent made monthly visits with preschoolers, teen parents, parents enrolled in adult education/literacy program and combined workshops with parents and their children during the school year. One lesson plan “It is in the Bag” helped parents focus on free or low-cost materials children can play with that can be found around the house or in natural settings or obtained from local business. The parents
worked in small groups to identify ways children might play with these materials and discussed what they can learn from their experiences with them. The group discussed and reported their findings. Next, the agent demonstrated how to make a Bag Book made out brown paper bags using stickers such as fruits and vegetables or other food stickers. Parents were encouraged to offer more fruits and vegetables and say the names, as well as the color, shape, size or how many aloud to assist with pre-reading skills. Each parent created their own unique picture story book
“Bag Book” for their child. | | Impact | 21 parents attended the nutrition education workshop impacting 30 preschool age children. They reported increased knowledge finding noncommercial active learning materials. Parents reported on an evaluation sheet how this workshop helped their family:
• Anything we can see is an opportunity to teach to our children
about it
• How to work with fruits
• To do things together with the kids
• Teach my daughter colors and food
• To be creative and learn at the same time
• It will help us to eat food that is good for us
• It will teach me things I need to know and help me
understand them better.
• Each activity is a chance to learn with them(children)
• How to make a bag book
• By telling me more about parenting
• Teach my son the names of fruits and their colors
• Name the foods that I like to eat by reading “Bag Book” aloud
• It will help my child to know his ABC’s
• Help with counting |
Last update8/15/2007
This website is maintained by Bryan Smith.
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