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Family Family Engagement Engagement Workshop Workshop

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Program Goal, Outline, and Materials

Program Goal: To foster school success and promote resiliency of young children by encouraging home/school partnerships and active participation of families in the education of their preschool and kindergarten children.

Description: An eight-week series of family workshops developed for use with 15-20 families of children entering kindergarten.

Workshop Components Family Conversations allow family members to share their perspectives about

parenting, gain new knowledge, and explore strategies designed to help their children learn and succeed in school. The content and focus of each conversation is drawn from research findings and scholarly sources.

Dinner and Discussion engages adult participants in a meal and a facilitated discussion about the workshop topic.

Literacy Learning engages participants in hands-on learning activities. Participants develop knowledge and skills to use with their children in learning activities and practice strategies to support the development of their children’s emergent literacy skills. After the lesson, children join their families to practice an activity.

Children’s Club is open to children 18 months to 12 years old. Led by a certified teacher(s) and assistants, Children’s Club is an educational childcare program. Children receive a well-balanced meal.

Outline for Two-Hour Workshop Family Conversations

• 15 minutes Greeting/Starter Activity • 20 minutes Conversation Time • 5 minutes Transition to Meal

Dinner and Discussion • 25 minutes Meal and Discussion • 5 minutes Transition to Literacy

Literacy Learning • 5 minutes Literacy Starter Activity • 10 minutes Family Literacy Lesson • 20 minutes Literacy Activities • 10 minutes Practice with Child • 5 minutes Closing

Overview

Florida Institute of Education at the University of North Florida © 2009

Materials Provided on the Website For each of the eight sessions you will find the following items -

1. Family Conversations script 2. Family Conversations handouts 3. Literacy Learning script 4. Literacy Learning handouts 5. Children’s Club lesson plans 6. Family Literacy Bag activity cards 7. Family Literacy Bag graphics 8. Materials list 9. Logistical materials (transition song sheets, agendas)

Materials Not Provided on the Website

A number of items used during the eight-week series were purchased from educational vendors. Vendors included Oriental Trading, Lakeshore Learning, Discount School Supply, Office Max, Amazon, Books-a-Million, and Barnes and Noble.

NOTE: Refer to the eight-session table of specifications to see the flow of the eight workshops.

The modules presented here were funded in part by the Office of Postsecondary Education, U.S. Department of Education as part of the Virtual School Readiness Incubator Project, the Department of Health and Human Services, Administration on Children, Youth and Families as part of the Early Learning Opportunities Act/Bringing Education and Support to Teachers, Parents and Children (ELOA/BEST) Project, and the Florida Institute of Education at the University of North Florida. These prototype materials are still in development and refinement and should be used with this caution in mind. The content of these modules does not necessarily reflect the views or policies or imply endorsement by the U.S. Department of Education, the Department of Health and Human Services, and/or the University of North Florida.

OverviewFlorida Institute of Education at the University of North Florida © 2009