Let's Talk

Sunday March 25, 2012
Jennifer Baily and Priscilla Cardoso
“Let’s Talk” Literacy Initiative
9:30 – 10:30 / 11
Cambridge, MA


I thought this workshop was GREAT! The presenters were high energy, very knowledgeable, and passionate. I thought the info. From this program could tie into any of our story times, especially our play and learn workshop, both Margaret and my staff innovation grants, and even some new programming ideas.

The main focus of this workshop is a specific program called “Let’s Talk” – think of something like “First Five”. It’s actually a funded program in Cambridge, MA (they were talking about a CT branch – so I would need to research how wide they are – nation?).

This is a great program that of course focuses on the importance of language (talking and reading) and how that helps baby and young children’s brains to develop. They focus on getting the info. Out to parents through outreach baby kits (like the Welcome Baby bundle grant I’m working on), visiting parents at offsite locations – libraries, city facilities, parenting groups (which is like the Family Resource Center Story time grant Margaret is working on), and doing home based visits.

They do lots of instruction, modeling practice, give away tons of books, and also do some neat activities. They talked about doing “book walks” – which is similar to what we did at our BHM program when we blew up the images of “If the People Could Fly”. They use “real estate signs” to have books printed on (more durable – but EXPENSIVE). They post these installations at different facilities, but also do walks where people travel with the story. It sounds like a great idea to revisit for a cultural arts night, family Saturday, etc.

Favorite tips
– dialogic reading – ask children questions while reading – such as what do you think the gorilla is doing? What will happen next?
– OWL – Observe, wait (wait for the child to respond), listen
– Talk to children while you do everything! Play talk (how does the water feel? How does the soap smell? These are carrots. They are crunchy and orange)

I really enjoyed this session! I think they should be offering this at CLA / ALA! I would love to see our library continue to work these tips and practices into our story times and recommend to parents.

If your interested in the full notes - they're copied and pasted below - otherwise feel free to skip.

Thanks!

A



Notes from session copied and pasted


45 participants

100,000 population
60 Languages in schools
Low income and fairly wealthy (not in between)

The importance of talking, key messages, our model (practice), techniques, questions

46% of kids entering kindergarten are at risk for academic failure

What influenced let’s talk initiative
Hartin risley study (famous) – shows children by age 3 lower income / education – those children have half the vocabulary. How to close this gap? Brain research, how young children really learn. People working with children, science confirms. Talking to your child makes the difference in vocabulary.

Most literacy starts with reading, talking should come first. Agenda for Children, partnership (5 departments – police, library, human services, public health, schools, (salary paid by human services, housed in public health).

Key Messages

Learning begins at birth. Talk to your child as much as possible (in the language you speak best) – richer vocabulary, better grammar, ideas, more conversations.. Engage in conversations with your child (talk about everything you’re doing. Do it while you are doing things – no extra time) (children learn interactively –the back and forth matters). Read with your child everyday (talk as much as you read – use books as a conversation). Parents are children’s first teacher.

Our model –

Library key partner – we give out library bags (know how many kids are born at Cambridge) – library gets this information (welcome bags – parents get – get library card, free books, born to read bib, letters say welcome). Twice a week visit hospital, visit families and give welcoming bag – says let’s talk. Materials in 4 languages – Portuguese, Haitian / Creole, English, Spanish. Let’s talk wash cloth (talk about bath, soap, while doing it). Wordless book (great for families of second languages – even if don’t know how to talk – wow!).

Talking / reading workshops to childcare providers, parents, head start (go when they already meeting and already there).Go to library to do it, any local groups that are already meeting (parents won’t typically come to one new thing. Ideally an hour and half workshop (but will drop it to 10 minutes – whatever time they give). Hospital.

Literacy home visits – anyone who lives in Cambridge. Share techniques.1 ½ - 2 hours typical visit (depends on child and parent). Give out library info, resources to refer, WIC.

Community Playgroups
8 weeks registration – themed week – give away free books 2 of the weeks. Families come in and play – read book at end that ties into activity. Parent and child take part in “exploration activity” related to book. Address reading, talking, fine motor skills, sensory. If miss 3, then take families off the waitlist.

Story Bags
Themed bags, sent to childcare resource center. Home based childcare providers (family based childcares).

Story walk
Walk and read a story. Schools, parks, malls, businesses, Books are printed on real estate books – so as you walk you read. Not too plot driven (because people can walk in at a different point). Not too many words. They don’t get permission. They do give away the free books so they are making money. One author asked to come out and join. City hall. Will leave them up all the time. Lots of money to buy real estate signs. About $1,000 to buy real estate boards (they used a grant – would not share – not someone we can get).

Give away about 700 books a year.

Literacy Ambassadors
Multilingual, multicultural, live within the community. Important to live within the community – about building trust, connecting with the community. Challenge (revolving door). Currently 9 ambassadors – different languages. Work 5 – 8 hours a week, home visits, meet an hour and half each week, share updates with ambassadors (holidays, supervision, etc.). 40 weeks per year. Exchange a lot of information amongst themselves.

Language is their barrier, but you could have teen parents work as ambassadors to reach out to other teens. Let’s Talk is a universal program, think about

Talk techniques
Concept – play talk vs. business talk. (what’s your buddy doing, how does the water feels, how does the soap smell, rhymes, songs) (commands – brush your teeth, time to go).

OWL – Oral Language Development Techniques
OWL – observe, wait, listen,
Imitation (make sounds back)
Extension (whole sentence)
Turnabout (conversation)

More play talk – play talk helps babies brains to form (business talk does not).Owl makes parents realize (most wait a quarter of a second), Respond back to coooo cooo, with same sounds, children learn by imitation. Give children the whole sentence (juice – do you want some juice). Not about remembering the names of these things – but remember the concept.

Interactive reading – Dialogic Reading
Dance – because of back and forth. Allow child to be their age (if it is chewing book, throwing). Using wordless books if trouble with language. Ask lots of questions.

CROWD

Completion
Recall
Open-Ended
WH – questions (who, what, when, …
Distancing

Ask other types of questions (how do you think they feel?). want children to ask questions and read.

One-two – card ex. Child raises arms when sees you (are you an airplane flying to mommy, or would you like a hug? Would you like mommy to pick you up? Talk about body parts – look at your arms and fingers)
Two – three – ex. I goed park ( - don’t correct – stunts conversation. Just say – Oh, you went to the park? Yes we went to the park yesterday! What did we see at the park? What did you do at the park?)

Dialogic reading – ex. Good night gorilla – tell me about the man with the light? Where are they? What do you think will happen next? What is the gorilla doing? How can you tell it’s night?

Lessons Learned / Outcomes
Approach – All parents all willing to try things out for their children. Model first. Give time to practice. New skill. Start with books in house?, read to?, takes practice. Be practical – one thing you can do today that you learned, write it down, take it home. Repeat what we want to take away. Give away magnets with tips, mirrors, always changing workshops (use feedback), literacy parents,