Family Literacy Series for Hispanic Families in Clinton County

Opportunity:
It is a fact that our society is becoming more diverse. For families whose primary language is not English, there are opportunities to learn the English language. Hispanic families in Clinton County could participate in the "L.E.A.P. into Literacy" Family Literacy Project through the Eastern Iowa Community College District, Clinton Campus.

Response:
The “L.E.A.P. into Literacy“ project coordinator, Brenda Kunau, contacted Iowa State University Extension in Clinton County for information about the Family Storyteller program. Family life specialist, Wendy Peterson, agreed to facilitate a four-session family literacy series that incorporated 3 sessions of the Family Storyteller program and one session from the Project R.E.A.D. program. The program goals were to introduce families to the joy of language and literature, increase their awareness of the importance language development in the early years, show techniques for how to read with their children and encourage them to do so, and enhance parent-child interaction at home through books and other language activities. The program format included one-hour with parents using curriculum outlines/videos and one-half hour in parent-child interaction activities. Each evening was devoted to a specific book and activities related to the book - Goodnight Moon, Have You Seen My Duckling?, Peter’s Chair and Feast for 10. Parents took home copies of the featured book and additional literacy activities to try between sessions. The books (when available) and activity packets were in both English and Spanish. The “L.E.A.P. for Literacy” grant funds covered program materials, facilitator expenses, and expenses for children’s program/care while adults were in class.

Impact:
Ten adults participated in the “L.E.A.P. into Literacy” series that included five families with young children (15 children, infant through early elementary school-age). The level of ability to speak and understand English varied. Participants from the group served as translators when needed.

Evaluation forms completed at the beginning of three of the sessions provides insight into how the series benefited the participants. For some participants it was the first time that they had competed forms that requested this type of information.

Parents reported reading to their child/children ½ hour and sometimes more each week. Parents also reported that their child/children enjoys being read to or looking at books with them. When asked about the number of different books or magazines read during the week of April 4 - 11, the number reported ranged from none (with a notation “my son just carried the book”) to 4. The number of different books or magazines reported the next week, April 11 – 18 ranged from 1 to 8. The same parent that noted her son just carried the book also shared verbally that she now knows that carrying the book is important too and that naming things and talking about what she is doing is going to help her child learn.

When asked about things they tried when reading to their child that they hadn’t tried before participating in the “L.E.A.P.” series, five parents that completed the questionnaire reported that they talked about the book cover, changed their voice while reading to reflect the story line, helped child learn new words or names for things, asked the child what happened at the end of the story.

This was the first time that ISU Extension in Clinton County had presented a literacy series for families. The project’s success is reflected in Brenda Kunau’s, project coordinator, comments:

“Thanks so much for working with our family literacy families. Last night was exciting for me to see the parents’ interest in your presentation about children’s word acquisition and strategies to enhance that acquisition. It seemed to me that your messages were really sinking in. You certainly modeled appropriate strategies for them each time you came, but I think it came together for them last night. I think the program has opened up a whole new world (a whole new responsibility, a whole new opportunity) for them as parents to truly assist their children’s development. I don’t think most of them had realized that they could actually make that much of difference prior to your presentations.”

Contact:
Wendy Peterson
331 E 8th St
De Witt, IA 52742-1736
Phone 319-659-5125
Fax 319-659-5126
Email wpeterso@iastate.edu