Game packs

http://www.parenting-resources.com/

One of the best vendor booths I saw was Parenting Resources. Along with some good early learning materials they had these game kits called LEARNING PROPS - a zippered bag which included a book and a gameboard printed on the inside. Game pieces were in a little pouch on one side. There are 10 topics such as Play Action, What Color is it?, Critters, Which Way, geared for Ages 3 +, not too expensive - set of 5 are $124.

Attention to change: the brain, behavior and self-perception

3pm - 4pm, Deborah McNelis, Brain Insights, New Berlin, WI

This workshop was packed - very good information about babies brain development and the importance of positive reinforcement vs. focusing on negative behaviors.

90% of babies brain develops during preschool years - 85% by age of 3
Development experience dependent - loving interaction and Play develops baby's brain
Brain adapts to the environment - lack of experiences literally results in smaller brain size - it will adapt to negative experiences as readily as it will adopt to a positive one
Brain prunes or gets rid of connections that haven't been used a lot and forms myelin sheaths on connections to transmit information more quickly = hardwiring the brain
Pathways are developed but can also branch out and leave pathways - can change in a postitive way (child can recover from a bad experience)
Brain can always change and make new pathways - plasticity
Repetitive experiences changes a child's life - learning

The presenters second half of the workshop sort of jumped ahead in a child's life and focused on parenting behaviors and how they affecting a child's self perception. Basically she said that a child's self perception was based on transferance from their parent's perception. She hoped that a parent would focus on the responsible or positive behaviors of a child: tell the child when you notice responsible behavior. Much attention is given to when a child does not do something - leaves clothes on floor, doesn't brush teeth, etc. and they will perpetuate negative behaviors. She stressed keeping track of good behaviors; using a positive tone of voice and providing encouragement vs. focusing on the negative to foster a child's self esteem.

Sustainability: examining what is said and shared with potential funders

10:30am - 11:30am, Catalina Sanchez, LA County Office of Education, Downey , CA

I enjoyed this workshop because the presenter had practical advice:

Before choosing a potential partner:

• know data that supports your need
• know what families and staff need
• know what the partner needs - figure out if your goals align with theirs
• read about past recipients - what organizations did they partner up with; good way to get ideas; look at what they've done; what they'll support

Before approaching a funder:

• be aware of your agency's image in the community
• be aware of competing factors
• identify what makes your organization unique - if you have a good image/reputation - use it!

Plan your approach:

• will it be informal or formal

Opportunities to communicate:

• business functions; conferences; memberships to professional organizations; colleague connections; networking

Be on their radar! In a POSITIVE way

• send them newsletters or emails with a link to article or something that they would find useful

Prepare for the opportunity:

• plan your "elevator" speech - 2 minute pitch with impact - highlight what makes you unique
• make abstract concepts like "family literacy" "school readiness" more concrete - create a visual picture
• create an impact with your words - test it out on friends who are not in your field and see if they understand what you're trying to convey
• Look at your mission statement

What makes an effective "elevator" speech:

• Start with an attention grabber (can be a personal connection)
• Use data in presentation
• Make mention of the services provided and where possible connect with outcome
• identify the target population you serve
• be sure to mention your parent organization
• Have your ask/request ready and be prepared to be successful - have your request ready

Be ready for follow up - have business card or ask them for theirs, offer to give them something

What to do after partnership:

follow up responsibly; send your business partner thank you notes from staff, parents, board of directors or community partners

Importance of storytelling

Importance of Storytelling
Satura Smith
JAS Consulting

This was a very entertaining session! If nothing else an amazing lesson in public speaking and storytelling. Satura used a low tech style that focused on humor and found a way to connect with everyone in the audience.

Her basic premise was to focus on the simplicity of storytelling (think back about how we connected as humans) - and the importance of how it engages learners, encourages conversation, dialogue, vocabulary.

Great take aways - we are all storytellers, encourage children - storytelling, encourage questions, don't stifle learning, powerful tool (especially for illiterate / low literacy adults)

She highlighted, just like we did in our storytelling session for new hires, anyone can pick up a book and read - but to TELL he story - you must engage.

GREAT - it was definitely edu-tainment!


Notes copied and pasted -

Edu-tainment (no flip charts, no projector)
Early childhood educator, taught school for 0 years, worked for pbs television 22 years (laid off 09 – budget)

Workshops and training at pbs – started (JAS – jump at the sun (after book by zora neale Hurston – aim high always jump at the sun)

Video, television, ipod, internet – we don’t communicate by talking / speaking anymore – dialogue has changed. Literacy / literature not in the forefront

Storytelling was how she was brought up (storytelling around the dinner table, tree, barbershop) – was big

Children so engaged in technology – should be for enhancing learning – not replace it

We complicated learning, made it complicated

Conversation / dialogue is how nephew learned. Storytelling, dialogue should be brought back. Stories – back by the sky, slavery – quilts

Storytelling – powerful way to ENGAGE families

Early language development – powerful way to engage families

Child can read a story on phone, color

She presented last year for adult learners – organizations donate books – what if there is no reading in the home. What if reading is not a daily part of their life. What if no one reads this book to her? What if same language in the home is no the same as the book?

Grew up reading everything. Saw parents read. Aunt enrolled in the book of the month club. Storytelling family – set up stories, make it fun, engage in story, husband makes fun – get to the point, a real storyteller makes you engaged

Educators like to talk, be at the front

Mother best storyteller, storytelling encourages creativity, engage – active mind, imagination provokes child’s imagination – promotes dialogue

Television was family time – Disney on Sunday wonderful world of Disney, wizard of oz, Daniel boone
- asked questions, inquisitive

Mom told horrible stories – large population of gypsies there (mom would talk about how they would take us to an island), picture in house – mom would say she was the queen of the gypsies, her name was 7up,

Loosing family history becase we are not telling stories (taking pictures with our phones).

Literacy is a key component to socialization. We are not teaching our children how to talk. When we allow our children not to talk –

Get pictures, paste, construction paper make photo albums

Visited grandparents, no television, Grandma Lottie please read this to me (grandmother born into slavery – could not read), Satura demanded Grandma Lottie – read me this book. Mother said no. Child demanded. Grandmother read the story through the pictures.

Millions of adults illiterate – many will not admit they can’t read. Do something not threatening, not complicated. Talking. Storytelling. These families can story tell.

Storytelling – engage children – when they ask questions don’t stop, they’re using words, incorporate (oh good, let’s see if the pig has red shoes, let the child tell you the story whatever way they want (moon, red shoes)

Ex. Story – you deliver story with the same facial expressions / delivery

Intimidation – fear, attitude, anger

Make child – parent teacher, jazz kids up to teach the parents, make it fun and engaging,

Activity – 8 volunteers from audience

PBS – incredible teacher program (PBS.org – real literacy base program, good show between the lions)

Everyone starts their story with the letter B
(every good story has to start off)

Relationshis between parents literacy skills and children's emergent literacy skills

1-2
Parents literacy skills vs children’s

This session was good, but INTENSE. The woman presenting was professor at Spellman college and was presenting research findings that are to be published shortly. I will need to log into the conference site to see if she posted any handouts. Her slides were literally FULL of words (Kevin McCardle would not be happy - I think he suggested 10 words per slide for us - I GET it now!).

She outlined the whole study - which surveyed children age 4 in specific APPLE program in GA and their caregivers. There were a total of 96 "dyads" children and caregivers. The stats broke down into almost all women caregivers and african americans.

The study posed five questions to test specific areas of literacy (ex. print awareness, language skills). They tested children and adults individually to determine their levels. The bottom line of the study - yes, parents skills did affect children.

The presentation of the slides, and the fact that we did not see the whole study, makes exact reporting tough. It was very technical! Overall, not every category tested affected children, but in the end, yes parents literacy has an effect. The researcher also thought of some things that additional studies could look into and thought it would solidify further, perhaps even show on a greater level how significant they are.

Take aways - parents "education" level does tell you their literacy level. Asking parents to read / do with child at home may not be a possibility - think B2B or SRP where we say - read to children - could be a problem). Also, I'm interested in following up on the survey tests they used with parents and children since we have grant reporting coming up and both M and I are utilizing book giveaway kits and we're tracking change.

I think this shows the importance of having data, statistics, science to show the importance of what we're doing, or why we need to change / improve / continue what we do.


Notes copied and posted:

- using grade level to assess literacy skills does not help
- people can be passed through
- 63 million adults (29%) read and understand a basic
- 30 million (14%) below basic level of literacy

Oral – receptive, expressive vocabulary
Expressive vocabulary

Lack of literature in these areas – questions exploratory

Study – hypothesis
96 child / primary care – dyads - (mom/dad/aunts/ grandparents)
80% of caregivers were mothers
Adults were English speakers
Avg. age 32
90 % African American
All children avg age 4 year old

PPVT – Peabody ppicture vocabulary test
EVT – expressive vocabulary test
Woodcock Johnson III tests of achievement (decoding, word recognition)
Print and Word Awareness (PALS)

Preschoolers tested in FALL (aug – oct)
Parents tested in WINTER (nov. - )

Descriptive statistics
- adults performing on avg. high school level
- children on avg 3 yr old language level

PALS
- didn’t have where child should be

One way ANOVA
- demographics same
- literacy skills same
- child literacy – one site higher (adults higher and children were higher)

Correlation statistics

Regressions
Predict child’s skills based on parents

Chart (Table 9)
1-6 parents
7-11 children

- .23 – .5 – small to moderate correlations, enough to say there is a relationship
- education level still correlated to children’s literacy skills
- hypothesis confirmed

- 15% education level contribution to expressive, oral language skills
- Parents language did predict child’s skills
- Child age 20 % , oral vocabulary parents 5 %
- How parent speaks affects how child speaks

Parent’s decoding skills – does not necessarily predict child

14% parental written language skills, prediction of child’s alphabet skills
- 12 % parent education level

Parents written language skills did not predict child’s print awareness

Conclusions

- parent literacy skills connect to child’s skills
- need to know parents skills (can’t say take this home, read this, etc.)

Read to your child, talk to your child (conversations matter!)
Give them the types of questions to ask
Emergent literacy, phonics (crux of it all)

Necessary to examine exact parental variables
Can’t look at children in isolation (family literacy is key)
Recognize impact of the parent

Follow up study needed
Diverse populations, socioeconomic groups


Illiteracy passéd on generation / generation (preschool – pre-k in home most critical when child is learning)

So what? – pass on to literacy programs, professionals focus on parents and kids
- 20 minutes to test parents (invest in future of the children)
- A matter of how (how get parents, how find out their skills)

Questions
- what would study look like with children who were not in a formal program
- what about the home literacy environment (home often mediated through literacy skills)
- girls in program outnumbered the boys
o this was in Georgia (free state program)
o APPLE (Atlanta preschoolers pursuing…)

- one parent had a masters degree
o 10/12 grade level across the board was what came out

Research has been submitted for publication
- funded out of United Way (APPLE project)
- this research tacked on
- implement parent component
- push for family literacy
- use “flesh kincaid level” when sending home information
o important to know level of parents b/c of what you ask parents to do at home

Did survey, home literacy environment survey, title recognition book test (20 real, 10 false) – very low, Hesh (reference - ? who authors were – adapted), home literacy environment survey (how long read at night, do you primarily read with child, if child doesn’t know skill do you work with them)

Email in program – if something want to know – email and she will send

Professor at Spellman College
Teach in ECE program with preservice teachers (bridge adult and child literacy)
Coauthors – Daphne Greenberg (adult literacy), Nicole Pattenteri (early literacy) at Georgia State

Picture This - Picture Books and Literacy in Child Centered Settings

Picture This
10:30 – 11:30
Lorre LeGendre
Toledo, OH

This was a FANTASTIC session! Really great that Reach Out and Read put on this session (ROAR - a national nonprofit that works with Dr. offices to "prescribe" books to babies and supply them with free books over a 5 year period, as well as storytimes at dr. offices, etc.). My SIF grant "Welcome baby" is also working with Dr. offices!

This session listed sample titles highlighting key areas of literacy that we hope to foster in young child, corresponding activities/crafts to promote these same literacy areas, and ideas to encourage "engagement" or excitement in reading.

Favorite ideas -
- play kits to link with stories (especially great for boys - and similar to our current story packs we offer now)
- legos with words on them to "build" a word
- take home literacy bags (LOVE this idea!) this is definitely something I'd like to work on (we are doing something like this with "Welcome Baby" right now, but I think it would be great to have something in library (great, great idea! - maybe a nother grant ..... :)?)
- story puzzles (I know we've done puzzles before - we have the large puzzle die. The example she gave was that each person provides a puzzle piece to continue the story going. Could be a really neat display for national library week or any other event - would make a nice display to connect the community and leave up for a months period.

I could ramble on (that's what is great about conferences - so many ideas) - but I'll wrap up since my notes are below and I know the readers out there are short on time.

Really great!





Copied and pasted notes from the session:

Reach Out and Read
Toldeo, OH
30,000 books given out annually

- average of 12 books for every middle class child
- average of 1 book for every 30 children

Why:

- foster language development
- promote reading
- emotional bonding / snuggling
- love art
- conversation builds comprehension


Benefits:

- Print motivation
- print awareness
- vocabulary
- Letter knowledge


Literacy Rich Environment in places where children have time –

- home, school, bus, car, extended family
- provide variety (cookbooks, menu, magazines, catalogs, comic books, books)
- if it’s a care center – make sure to have signs

Craft project
- paper bag book
- decorate the magazine holder, cereal box
- story garland (old books – buy big hole punchers
- job list / paper plate craft season / bathroom signs (print aareness)
- wanted posters (describe favorite book character)
- picture book puzzle
- posicle stick / card stock (Dear Zoo parade) – different animal on each character (PM, V, N)
- daily calendar or journal (use old berry basket, keep index card in it)
- picture book puzzle, how big can it get? (great display for library week)
- I-Spy mystery bottle (plastic water bottle – rice sand – little toys inside – beads with letters, army man * tape lid shut! Make a key of what’s inside – Kids can shake it around)
- Use snack time as a way to increase kids vocabulary (ex. Everyone needs a new word to describe cheezeit – orange, salty, square, sharp, crunchy)
- Mystery Book Box (take old book falling apart) pictures of curious george, bananas, reduced cover of the book, kids have to guess from items in box – what is the story
- Picture book quilt (book cover on front) (character on back) / Magazines (tape)
- Mail box out of show box (parents leave the mail in the box)
- Letter toast (alphabet cereal, use cookie cutter to cut out bread, draw etter in milk on bread before toasting?)
- Beach ball with questions (where finger lands, answer the question)
- Pizza box flannel board
- Picture book hand puppet (sock and string on hungry caterpillar food)
- Story stones (over age 3!)
- Story starters (young kids can bring over their piece)

Book Examples -

Rotten Ralph by Jack Gantos
Dumb Bunnies by Dave Pilkey
My Book Box by Will Hillenbrand
Cick clack moo cows that type
Dear Zoo by Rod Campbell
Alexander and the terrible, horrible, no good, very bad day by Judith Viorst
Nonfiction (first encyclopedia of space, books on how to draw, my big truck bbook, state capitals, cooking with cat)
Chicka chicka boom boom
Alphabet adventure (fire truck theme)
Bad Kitty by Nick Bruel
ABC Construction
I love you goodnight
Good night pillow fight
Alpha bugs
Each peach pear plum

Draw children’s attention to the print ask questions
- where do we start on the page?
- Use finger as you read along

Vocabulary
- Knowing the names of the things
- Children with delayed vocabulary development (lower the income – the higher the percentage of delay) ex. Below 30,000 income is 40% delay
- Disparities in early vocabulary growth ex. Welfare parents have 36 mo. Old with just over 200 words vs. college educated parents at 36 months with 1200 word vocabulary
- Low income children hear two putdowns to every positive statements * books can provide positive

Toddlers learn about print through sight
- give books (board books better – books go in mouth, how they explore)
- photographs with pictures and labels
- posters, bulletin boards, pictures
- labels and signs on things

Research says expose children to rare and technical books they don’t hear (helps with science technology and math)

Activity quiz
- Best vocabulary builder, conversation starter (guesses – blocks, finger puppets, ball, paint) and the answer is PLAY-DOH!
o Lots to talk about (they can talk – colors, shapes, what they’ve made)

1950 – 4000 words of an avg. 1st grader
1999 – 1000 words of an avg. 1st grader

2-3 times more through reading is how kids increase vocabulary vs. teacher just talking

Incentives for kids to read

- create a comfortable reading zone
- judge book by cover
o size of font
o how much white space
o number of pages
o illustrations
o have them read three sentences (front and middle to check comprehension)

What about boys
- boys get majority of ds and fs
- make up percentage of discipline proble
- learning disabilities 70% boys
- boys like to play – often pushed into activities (put books into plays)

Book bags
Artifact book bags
- follow up tosy to go with book (notepad to draw pictures, army guys)

Lego / translation Play well

- Bricktionary – pictionary (team has to get what built
- Brickture story – picture story
- 20 questions (get 20 questions to guess what the item is)
- letter stickers ont hem and kids can build words

Letter and sound knowledge
- know letters different from each other
- Being able to recognize

Letter building
Boggle (take letters to match up, how many cards could spell before the timer)

Narrative skills (being able to describe things)
- talk tot hem (show story patterns)
- Dialogic reading (power of the letter)
- Puppets
- Flannel boards

Phoenological awareness (auditory skill)
- about sounds (print can help)
- play stop start games
- tongue twisters, rhyming books
- paperplate word slides
- paint sample
- flip through tongue twisters

http://myweb.stedwards.edu/mikekb/ReadStrong/phoenimicaware.pdf

Book It
- take home literacy bags (old t-shirts – cut off sleeve, iron on graphic)
- daily literacy reminder (ask me about the story of the day – change book at sign out)
- classroom family literacy book
- Wrapping paper / fabric – envelope shape

Reading tips
Developmental milestones
Dr. recommended book list

Day Two - Overall

We made it! Margaret and I finally got back tonight just before 7 safe and sound!

It was another great day! Same great company, no rain (which I do like, but nice not to walk in it), and some more interesting sessions!

It was really interesting attending this conference with a focus on families and reading. ALA and CLA have so much to cover overall - academic / business / public libraries - all of the many things we do and facets of ours service library programming / new directions - staying relevant / programming. It was very exciting to focus on the people and "the book."

It was very inspirational (hearing speakers like Wes Moore), exciting (new ideas - like play kits to go with stories), informative (staggering stats about brain and language development - 1950 - avg. 1st grader 4,000 words vs. 1999 avg. 1st grader 1,000 words), and motivating (we are the people who can make the change!).

Today we went through the exhibits and gained some good info -

- contact with our scholastic representative Barbara (offered to bring free donations to us! - and offered us to sign up for a program with discounts and free shipping)
- parenting resources (a distributor)- some neat stuff (games Margaret found), some good books on brain development, brain development flashcards, and some great book titles
- Aztec - has a really neat booth set up (sending info about their display)
- Poster sessions - I spoke with "Raising a Reader" a national program who has been working with a group of evaluators to develop an evaluation program (which works with an excel table).

There program is about book bags that expose children to 100 books, focusing on children ages 0-6.

I asked - the different evaluators had grants already and worked with this group for free. evaluators mainly include - Pacific Consulting Group, Universities, and their "online data collection tool" was developed by sociometrics. I think the big thing the groups did was help to develop questions (how often do you read with your child at night) and the consulting groups / sociometrics figured out how to get data entered where needed. There wasn't a lot in the way of details being offered, but I thought any info. data collection would help with any upcoming grant reporting with "Welcome baby".

Sessions today

"Picture This! Picture Books and Literacy in Child centered Settings"
A

Relationships between Parents Literacy Skills and their Children's Emergent Literacy Skills)
B+

Once Upon a Tim - The Importance of Storytelling
B+

Again, I'll do individual posts and attach my notes, should you want more detail. I appreciate the chance to collect info. and hope it's as helpful to any interested as it was to me.

Thank you!