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The New Year’s Family
Literacy Project
In Stephen Covey’s, “The 7 Habits of Highly Effective
Families”, he states ‘the process is as important as the product’. New Years is always a good time to review the way we do
things.
So, let's have some fun talking about some exciting habits you could try at home this
year to help your kids with literacy!
To help me with this is the Director of
Early Literacy, John M. LePelley, M.Ed., of the Cleveland Literacy Cooperative:
“Why is literacy is so
important? Well, it’s because we will need to be proficient in it to succeed in
school, at work, on the road, and at home, for the rest of our lives! Whether
it’s digital or print, the need to read is never going away. So, what kinds of
habits can you create at home to help your family with improved reading? I’ve
broken it down into steps for you and I think it seems easier than you think (and
more fun too). Check out these steps
STEP 1 TIME:
Do you have an hour a night, once a week or twice a
month? Whatever you decide…it’s up to
you! Just stick to it. (It takes about 21 days to make something become a
habit.)
STEP 2 INTERESTS: Is your child into computers, outdoors,
arts ,crafts, sports, fashion? Align
your literacy project to an existing interest.
STEP 3 ACTIVITY:
Read, write, talk and ask a lot of questions! Literacy
and communication go hand in hand. Without going into a text book
definition, it’s basically ‘the understanding of what is being read: meaning
words, symbols, numbers, etc., the ability to communicate through writing and
the ability to think critically’. Communication is mainly about talking and
listening and being able to provide feedback, so a Family Literacy Project can also
be a great way to grow family bonds!
STEP 4 KISS: Growing up, my principal used to say, “Keep it Simple Stupid.” Or, for those who prefer something more
endearing, “Keep it Simple Silly.” The
phrase: “family literacy project”, can sound overwhelming and sort of boring to
your kids; it’s probably the best for everyone if you disguise your project.
1 Blog
it! You’re already reading blogs
– create one with your family!
Book
it! Write a book together. It doesn’t have to be Huckleberry Finn. Make a
children’s book for a new baby to give during the holidays. Once created, there are websites which will
allow you to “publish” your books. You
can scan pages and the company will bind and print them for you. Draw the illustrations, use photographs or
collages for the illustrations. Use your
favorite children’s books as examples.
Film
it! Flip Cams are often on sale
and most phones and photo cameras now come with filming capabilities. Create a family movie. Write the script for a creative film or think
of an interesting topic and create a documentary. Have your children write down questions and
interview someone. Perhaps, you can even
create a filmed family history.
4 Pic
it! Create a family photo journal.
Take pictures of special events, holidays and family field trips. Then, go through the photos. Have everyone choose their favorite photo,
print the pictures and then create a book out of them. Each child can write something about their
photo to include in the book. This is a
great way to be on top of keeping memories and everyone can chip in! Work on
one page each month. It can be
years-in-the-making! And, best of all,
it’s a great family keepsake.
5 Read
it! Create a reading circle – it could be focused around the holidays. To help build excitement around this idea,
hold a book exchange instead of a gift exchange. Choose a book and have a book pass during
dinner. Pick a holiday children’s book
and pass it around so that everyone has to read a page. Some families pray at the table – maybe your
family can read at the table!
Commit to spending at least a couple of hours a week on your
Family Literacy Project and watch your children’s reading and communication
improve and your bonds become tighter. Pick one of the Steps above and enjoy
it! But, like that new diet and exercise routine you vowed yourself to
this year; if you don’t like doing it, you probably won’t stick with it. Keep
it simple.
Happy New Year from Family Matters with Amber, John
LePelley, and everyone at the
Cleveland Literacy Cooperative.