March 2009 RFLN Network News

Stacey Crooks

Dan Danforth

Diane Diebel

Lois Lafontaine

Alice Samkoe

Teresa Seel

Regina Family Literacy Network

Board Members 2008-2009

“All it takes is a point of light, A ray of hope in the darkest night. If you see what's wrong and you try to make it right, You will be a point of light.” - Point of Light, Randy Travis

Welcome to 2009! January was a very busy month for family literacy organizations. With National Family Literacy Day on January 27th most of us spent the month planning special events for family literacy! The Regina Family Literacy Network participated in a number of events for Family Literacy Day 2009. On January 23rd we went to one of the many locations throughout the city that took part in ABC Canada’s World Record attempt for the most adults reading with children. To date over 60,000 people have been submitted as participating in the event throughout Canada! It was very exciting to take part in such an ambitious project for family literacy. On January 24th, we held a Family Literacy Festival in partnership with the Al Ritchie Community Association. Unfortunately it was not well attended due to the extreme temperatures in the city that day! It was close to minus fifty with the wind chill!!! Thank you very, very much to all the volunteers and people who did commit to attend despite the weather.

FROM THE EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR...

Network News

Regina Family Literacy Network, Inc.

February/March 2009 Volume 1, Issue 3

Inside this issue: Local Learning Opportunities 2 Developmental Assets 3

Family Literacy In the Home 4 Family Literacy Craft Corner 6

Book Review 7 Regina Literacy Association 8

Our City Wide Read In held the last week of January was once again a huge success! Although we still have the odd message coming in with info reported...we had over 900 people participate and over 300 hours of reading took place in honour of family literacy day 2009! Congratulations to everyone who participated. We have rescheduled a few of our trainings for the remainder of this school year. If you are interested in attending any of them, please send an email to [email protected] and we will be in touch real soon! We hope you enjoy the new sections of the newsletter! There are a ton of new activities and ideas for practitioners and parents alike!

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LOCAL LEARNING OPPORTUNITIES

We have rescheduled a few of our trainings for the remainder of the school year. Please visit the Training Page or the Calendar Page for more information on upcoming events! In March and April we will be host to a number of learning opportunities: Introduction to Family Literacy Certificate Course What is Community Development? Panel Presentation Come Read With Me (CRWM) Community Development Workshop Storysacks Outcome Measurement Workshop Asset Mapping & Building Partnerships Workshop If you are interested in attending any of them, please send an email to [email protected] and we will be in touch real soon!

LEARNING OPPORTUNITY—COME READ WITH ME (CRWM)

Date: March 23rd and 24th, 2009 Time: 9 am to 4 pm (lunch provided) Location: Regina Family Literacy Network Of-fice, 1213 - 15th Avenue, Regina, SK Description of program: CRWM is based on the premise that parents and children learn together and enhance each other's lives. The CRWM pro-gram uses children's books as a starting point for development of literacy skills and discussion of a wide range of parenting issues. CRWM is a flexible program that may be adapted to a variety of set-tings. The goals of the CRWM program are: To help parents recognize their important role

as their children's first teacher. To encourage reading as "fun" and valued. To assist parents in helping their children de-

velop literacy skills To give parents opportunities to identify their

own knowledge and skills, learn new skills and put their skills into practice

To help parents with low literacy skills read to their children and improve their reading skills

To empower parents and encourage them to pursue further adult education opportunities.

Objective of facilitator training: To prepare individu-als to facilitate CRWM programs with adults in their community. Description of CRWM facilitator training: The CRWM facilitator training prepares individuals to facilitate CRWM groups in their communities. It covers: child development choosing age appropriate books modifying books to suit older or younger readers using craft ideas, finger plays, and songs and

rhymes informing parents about literacy and learning. The training also raises more general issues such as the basic principles of adult education, the back-ground and philosophy of the family literacy move-ment, the principles of small group instruction, and the importance of assessment and evaluation. For whom: Individuals interested in facilitating family literacy programming in their communities. Pre-requisites: All participants MUST be certified in an Introduction to Family Literacy with the Sas-katchewan Literacy Network or Planting the Seeds Partner Agency. Registration Fee: $200

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WHAT ARE THE DEVELOPMENTAL ASSETS?

Building Blocks for Raising Healthy Children and Youth Since its creation in 1990, Search Institute’s framework of Developmental Assets has become the most widely used approach to positive youth development in the United States. Background—Grounded in extensive research in youth development, resiliency, and prevention, the Developmental Assets represent the relationships, opportunities, and personal qualities that young people need to avoid risks and to thrive. The Power of Assets—Studies of more than 2.2 million young people in the United States consistently show that the more assets young people have, the less likely they are to engage in a wide range of high-risk behaviors (see table below) and the more likely they are to thrive. Assets have power for all young people, regardless of their gender, economic status, family, or race/ethnicity. Furthermore, levels of assets are better predictors of high-risk involvement and thriving than poverty or being from a single-parent family. The Gap—The average young person experiences fewer than half of the 40 assets. Boys experience three fewer assets than girls (17.2 assets for boys vs. 19.9 for girls). CONNECTING ASSETS & ACADEMICS...

“Cognitive and emotional skills are interconnected, thus by promoting emotion-related skills one is helping to foster academic competence.” “Students with less emotional control tend to worse academically than their peers (this is even when controlling for cognitive abilities, family background (i.e. SES).”

Valiente, C., Chalfant-Lemery,K., & Castro, K.S. (2007). Children’s effortful control and academic competence. Merrill-Palmer Quarterly, 53 (1), 1–25.

“Such social–emotional competence of young children predicts their academic performance in first grade, even when controlling for their actual cognitive skills and family backgrounds” (60).

Denham, S. A. (2006). Social–emotional competence as support for school readiness: What is it and how do we assess it? Early Education and Development, 17 (1), 57–89.

“Among the top 11 categories that affected learning, 8 involved social-emotional influences: classroom management, parental support, student-teacher social interactions, social-behavioral attributes, motivational-affective attributes, the peer group, school culture, and class-room climate.”

“Students’ social-emotional competence fosters better academic performance in a variety of ways…Students who become more self-aware and confident about their learning abilities try harder, and students who motivate themselves, set goals, manage their stress, and organize their approach to work perform better.”

Greenberg, M.T., et al. (2003). Enhancing school-based prevention and youth development through coordinated social, emotional, and academic learning. American Psychologist, 58 (6/7), 466-474.

Having more assets also increases the chances that young people will have positive attitudes and behaviours. Search Institute research has found that young people with more assets are more likely to participate in eight positive behaviours. Here are some examples:

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FAMILY LITERACY IN THE HOME

Family Activities which Enhance Your Child’s Reading Abilities and Build Essential Life Skills Cooking with Cookbooks: Teaching Your Child Basic Cooking and Kitchen Safety If a child can read and understand the directions in a cookbook, he or she will be able to feed and nurture themselves throughout their lives. Who better to teach them that skill than you, their parent? And if you don’t cook, relax and learn with your kids. Kids love it when adults don’t know everything, especially when the adults are their parents! Before you begin cooking, give your kids an informal kitchen tour. Show your child how all your kitchen appliances work. Read and explain the words on the appliance. Most kids, even teens, may not know the difference between bake, broil, cook, and grill. Be sure to instruct your child concerning specific safety issues for various appliances. And, give them age appropriate rules as to which appliances they can use by themselves and which appliances they will need to use with adult assistance. Let younger children play and experiment with the measuring tools before you begin cooking. Kids learn by doing. There is no better way to teach a child how many pints or cups make a quart than by letting them physically measure the amounts themselves. Sit down with your child and leisurely look through a cookbook. If you don’t have a children’s cookbook, a general all-purpose

cookbook is fine to use, especially a binder-style cookbook which lays flat on a table or countertop. Show your child how the cookbook is organized. Point out the table of contents, the index, and the food category sections in the book. Show them how to use those sections. Read a sample recipe aloud. Explain that recipes are formulas which they can use to make the foods they love. Point out that each recipe contains a list of ingredients and instructions on how to make different foods. Now begin! Pick out a simple recipe for a food your child loves-cookies, salad, pasta, etc. Read the recipe aloud together - all the way through - before you begin. Learning the simple skill of reading instructions all the way through before beginning a task, will help your child and teen throughout their lives. It will keep them from making many mistakes. Have your child help you to assemble and prepare the ingredients and equipment you will need for the recipe. Follow the recipe step by step, letting your child or teen do much of the work themselves. Don’t worry about messes while your work is "in progress." When it comes time to blend, stir, cook, bake, broil, or grill, show your child how to use a clock or timer to determine the length of the activity. After you have completed the recipe, have your child help with kitchen clean-up. Instruct them on any special care needed for various appliances. And if you have a kid who loves to cook but hates to clean, ask your local librarian for a copy of the tale, The Little Red Hen. Read it aloud together. It will help your child understand the concept of fair distribution of labour far better than any lecture you deliver.

Excerpt from: http://www.superpages.com/enlightenme/everydayliteracy/archives/02_Family_Literacy_Survival_Kit-Cooking_with_Cookbooks.htm


At last, sit down and eat! Enjoy the fruits of your labour! Your local library has hundreds of cookbooks in its collection, free for you to take home and use. If you would like a cookbook specifically written for children, here are some suggestions: 1. Pretend Soup and Other Real Recipes: A

Cookbook for Preschoolers by Mollie Katzen and Ann Henderson

2. Clueless in the Kitchen: A Cookbook for Teens by Evelyn Raab

3. Floras Kitchen: Recipes from a New Mexican Family by Regina Romero

4. Hey Kids You’re Cookin’ Now! A Global Awareness Cooking Adventure by Dianne Pratt

© 2002 Mary Brigid Barrett SOME RECIPES TO TRY AT HOME Warm Spiced Milk 2 cups milk 1/2 teaspoon nutmeg 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon Stir over stove on low

heat until nice and warm.

Serves 2. Cinnamon Apple Smoothie 1 cup milk 1 cup vanilla yogurt 1 small apple 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon handful of ice cubes Wash and peel apple. Cut up into

cubes and take out the seeds. Add ingredients and blend for one minute.

Serves 1.

Veggie Macaroni and Cheese 1 package elbow macaroni 1/2 onion, chopped 1 tablespoon butter or margarine 1/2 teaspoon nutmeg 1/4 teaspoon salt and pepper 1 tablespoon flour 1 1/2 cups skim milk 1 1/2 cups cheddar cheese, shredded 1 tomato, diced 1 cup chopped broccoli 1 cup bread crumbs Bring water to a boil and cook macaroni

according to package instructions. Rinse with cold water and stir. Set aside.

Cook onion in butter in a saucepan over medium heat. Stir in nutmeg, salt, pepper, and flour. Add milk and cook, stirring occassionally until thick and bubbly. Add diced tomato and broccoli (or any other veggies you like). Stir in shredded cheddar cheese until melted. Add macaroni and stir.

Pour into a casserole dish. Bake for 30 minutes in a 350F (175C) degree oven. Top with bread crumbs for the last 5 minutes of baking.

Serves 4. Cheesy Popcorn Recipe This cheese popcorn recipe uses real cheese for a savoury, buttery popcorn recipe the whole family will love. And it only takes a few minutes to make this cheesy popcorn recipe. 1 full-size bag microwave

popcorn 1/4 cup grated cheddar cheese 3 Tbsp. butter, melted Prepare popcorn in the microwave,

according to package instructions. Pour into a large bowl. Sprinkle grated cheese over top. Drizzle melted butter on top of cheese. Toss to coat well. Enjoy!

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FAMILY LITERACY CRAFT CORNER

Tradition Keepers A child’s lives and events create the continuous story everyone, past and present, is part of. Through people and their stories—of their struggles, traditions, ideas and ideals—today’s world is connected to worlds of long ago. History begins at home and at school with memories passed from one generation to the next, and from class to class. Traditions are what people do in a special way at certain times of the day, month, week or year. They can bee foods, songs, games, celebrations… anything we do can become a tradition. Help children realize that traditions from the past can be enjoyed today, and saved to be shared with their own children who will live in the future by creating a special Tradition Keeper that will store those special recipes, games, celebrations, and ways of doing things so they will always be remembered!

Materials: 2 paper plates Scissors Hole punch Markers 2 metres of yarn Index cards

Cut plates into matching heart

shapes. Punch holes around the bottom edge of both plates.

Have children decorate the hearts with markers and add their family name (or classroom number).

Have children stitch the hearts together. Tie the ends of the yarn into a bow for hanging.

Children write or draw a favourite family tradition on index cards, one for each tradition. Store the cards in the keeper.

Families can decide which traditions to include!


BOOK REVIEW

Click Clack Moo: Cows That Type (Hardcover) Betsy Lewin Doreen Cronin Publisher: Simon & Schuster Children's Publishing Series: Caldecott Honour Book (32 Pages, 7.75 x 10.00) Spaghetti® Book Club Review: A farmer has a problem, his cows can type. Since they can type, they write letters to the farmer saying that they want electric blankets. The farmer says no! Then they write another letter telling the farmer, “Sorry, we’re closed. No milk today!” The cows start typing again. Then the hens join the cows on strike. The farmer decided enough is enough and he started typing to the cows. The animals have a meeting. How will the farmer and the animals work it out? If you want to know the ending you have to read the book. We think this book is really funny. Our favourite funny parts are when the hens get cold and they want electric blankets and when the hens go on strike with the cows. The animals annoy the farmer and this reminds Michael when his older brother annoys him. This reminds Stephanie when she annoys her dad when she plays

around on his boat. Michael and Stephanie liked the illustrations because the pictures take up the whole page and help tell the story. It looks the pictures are painted. This book won a Caldecot Medal. Michael and Stephanie both thought this book was easy for all ages because it’s easy to read. There are not too many words on each page. This book might interest readers because it’s very funny and silly. It has cows that type and hens on strike and that is not normal. If you like silly animals and fiction stories this is the right book for you. Stephanie C. and Mike L. are students in Mrs. Gerbig's 2nd Grade Class 2001-2002

Reviewed by Stephanie C. (age 7)

and Mike L. (age 8

The Book & Brier Patch is dedicated to supporting Family Literacy in Regina. Please check out the featured book of each newsletter at Regina’s very own, “Book and Brier Patch” or the Regina Family Literacy Network.

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FAMILY LITERACY AROUND THE PROVINCE

Every Child Ready to Read @ Your Library

The workshop is designed to train staff (daycare workers, pre K teachers, library staff, community workers) to train / teach parents how to develop reading readiness skills in children based on scientifically-based techniques. Parents learn proven techniques for developing their child’s reading readiness skills. The workshops are fun and interactive, with plenty of hands-on activities so that parents can put the things they learn into practice. The workshop will also provide staff with information on how to incorporate the material into story times / story circles. The morning session will include information about the Every Child Ready to Read program and how to present it to parents including the six skills that children require to learn to read such as phonological awareness, print motivation, print awareness and the afternoon portion will include information on how to incorporate the material into story times. Workshop: Location: Weyburn Public Library Date: Tuesday March 10, 2009 Time: 9:00 a.m. - 4:00 p.m. Trainer: Deirdre Crichton

FUN FACTS WITH EARLY LITERACY The Fun and Facts of Early Literacy: Communicating with Parents Through Story times The workshop includes: early literacy research, examples of the development of each of the six early literacy skills for newborn to five-year-olds, techniques for planning story times that reach adults and children and specific ideas for doing so and hands-on practice developing literacy-enhanced story times. Based on the Every Child Ready to Read @ your library project. Participants will have Every Child Ready to Read training or reviewed the Every Child Ready to Read material which is available online at: http://www.parkland.lib.sk.ca/ECRR.html. You can also request training material from Deirdre Crichton at [email protected]. Workshop: Location: Holiday Inn Express – Regina Date: Wednesday March 11, 2009 Time: 9:00 a.m. - 4:00 p.m. Trainer: Saroj Ghoting Please Register for either training by March 6, 2009 For more information contact Deirdre at: Telephone: (306) 783-7022 ext. 226 E-mail: [email protected]

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REGINA LITERACY ASSOCIATON

Success. What is Success? Each of us has our own definition based, in part, on who were are and where we have been. Our definition is also colored by society’s expectations of successful people. If I were to tell you my definition of success, some of you would likely say – yes. That’s it. Others would say – no, not really. I do believe that all of us would agree that success is a good thing – right? Well, there are many people who have achieved a measure of success who call it a curse. If we look at movie stars and politicians, they would seem to have a measure of success, but they are also constantly in the eye of the harsh media. Success always brings with it recognition. Sometimes such recognition is not always desired and can be quite harmful. If I become successful, I will gain greater admiration and people will interact with me in a different

the teacher in class. Who only gained attention when he did something wrong. Elwood grew up and attempted many different things but always seemed to never be able to complete anything. One exception was skating. As Elwood grew up in a Canadian town, he was required to learn to skate and play hockey. When Elwood strapped on his skates, he found that he could make them work. Elwood’s skating was very good – not as good as some of the other skaters, but good. He joined a hockey team. Elwood was used as a defenseman whose job it was to skate in front of the opposing forwards and protect his goal. He carried a hockey stick but it was only for show, as Elwood was completely useless at holding or passing a puck. One day when his team was in the semi-finals, Elwood was doing his job and trying to block the opposing players. He was continually run into and often had bruises at the end of a even a team practice. But today was the all-important game. Elwood was able to block several key plays during the game – a game with a tied score in the third period. With just

way. Unfortunately, the very act of recognition can be extremely embarrassing, so rather than suffer such recognition, I will avoid success. Success breeds success, so if I am successful once people will expect me to do it again and again. And with each level of success the recognition becomes lessened and can bring with it a harshness of jealousy – what isn’t that me getting the recognition? As we see, success can engage us in a world of hatred and jealousy. In addition, people who were our supporters will withdraw the support when they believe we have reached our goals and achieved success. The same people may start treating us differently in order to reclaim their lost role as supporter. They may start to subvert our success or minimize its meaning by telling us that we are not the same – we are now too good for them. Oh dear what can I do I am damned if I do and damned if I don’t. Consider Elwood. Elwood was a shy boy who was usually chosen last for sports teams, who was continually teased about something he was doing or wearing. Who was never directly asked a question by

SUCCESS ~ written by Dan Danforth, Program Head, Basic Education, SIAST Wascana Campus

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minutes to play, Elwood just happened to be waiting at the blue line when the puck appeared in front of him. He wound up and hit the puck as hard as he could – it went in the opposing goal virtually as the end of the game sounded. His team had won and Elwood had scored the winning goal. His team members all piled on him and congratulated him and the coach told him he didn’t think he had it in him, but good job. That day and night were magical for Elwood. He was, for the first time, invited over to the team party. His goal was the talk of the town. Elwood had achieved success!

But secretly, Elwood knew his goal was a fluke – a happy accident. Elwood knew that in a million years he could never do that again. Elwood pondered his plight. Should he play in the final game with the pressure of repeating the impossible, or should he not play the final game and live

the only time when the coach had seen the spark of interest in Elwood. It was the only time when Elwood appeared more alive than disinterested. When Elwood did not play in the final game, the whole team felt his absence. While Elwood had not been a star player, he had been the most consistent player on the team and every player had relied on him to block the opposing team’s forwards so that they had the time to skate up the ice and recover the puck. The coach told Elwood that his success was not that one fluke goal, but the consistency of his blocking. The team lost the finals because Elwood had not been there to provide the blocked shots and support for the goalie. After Elwood dropped the coach off, he pondered this problem. Success is not defined by a moment, but by a series of consistent efforts that make up success. He also realized that his academic record, while mediocre, was still successful. Elwood had completed Grade 11 and he had successfully completed the university entrance program and he had successfully completed three years of university and he had successfully worked as a cab driver and provided for his family.

with the humiliation of being a quitter? Two nights before the game at his final practice, he told the coach that he would not play in the final. The coach was flabbergasted. “You earned this. You have to play. The team needs you.” All the coaches’ words fell on deaf ears . Elwood would not play, nor would he even attend the game. He heard later that the team lost the game. Elwood’s academic career was mediocre. He quit school a week before his grade 12 final exams. When he was twenty, after three years of working at menial jobs, he entered a mature student university entrance program. Once again, he excelled at mediocrity with a grade point average of 1.8, which was the absolute minimum to stay in school. In his last year at the university, Elwood quit to drive a cab. Elwood’s further journey towards unexcelled had him married with two children when he was 28 years old. One day he picked up a fare at the airport. His passenger was his old hockey coach. The usual how are ya doin and whatcha upto now? were exchanged. Eventually, the coach talked about the semi-final game. The coach told Elwood that he had known the goal was a fluke and that all of the players knew it was a fluke, but it was

The Regina Literacy Association meets the second Thursday of each month at the Regina Family Literacy Network Office—1213—15th Avenue, Regina,SK.

Meetings are about an hour in length, they begin at 4 pm and are open to anyone involved in literacy in Regina and surrounding area! Join us for our next meeting it is a great chance to network with other people in adult and family literacy!

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Elwood continued to drive cab, but he went back to university and took the missing courses. His grades in his final courses were at a GPA of 3.8. After his graduation, he enrolled in a Master’s in Business Administration. After he graduated with an MBA, he started his own cab company and now owns a fleet of 400 vehicles. He called his company “Success Cab Company.”

I am reminded here of the many people I have encountered who are successful. Each was successful for a multitude of reasons in a multiplicity of endeavors. The common thread was that success for them was measured by a series of single, almost invisible, tasks that when combined amounted to success. That success is not a single event or a single moment but a reflection on a series of consistent events over time. Today, recognize your achievement for a series of successful tasks that each of you have accomplished. You are not Elwood. You can continue to do that which you know you need to do to achieve your success. Your success belongs to you alone and do not fear it, as success is each daily deed bundled together in a series. Good skill. You don’t need luck – you have skill.

RLA – Pick of the Month! Traveler’s Guide to Literacy Research in Practice By Mary Norton

This guide was written to help practitioners who are interested in researching issues that arise in their practice. It explains research-in-practice in a way that is useful for beginning and experienced practitioner-researchers. It emphasizes research as a creative process and also offers practical instruction on planning, conducting and sharing research. The guide is available online at http://www.nald.ca/library/traveler/cover.htm

REGINA FAMILY LITERACY NETWORK WOULD LIKE TO THANK OUR PARTNERS AND SUPPORTERS IN THE COMMUNITY

Regina Family Literacy Network, Inc.

Please Note: The ideas expressed in this newsletter are not

necessarily those of the Regina Family Literacy Network Board of Directors.

1213—15th Avenue Regina, Saskatchewan S4P 0Y8 Phone: 306-352-READ (7323) Fax: 306-522-READ (7323) E-mail: [email protected]

Funding Agencies/Donors

Literacy Office, Ministry of Education Community Initiatives

Women’s Inter—Church Council of Canada Leader-Post Raise-A-Reader Book & Brier Patch Bookstore

In the Community

SIAST Wascana Campus

Regina Public Library Regina Public Schools

Regina Catholic Schools Regina Early Learning Centre

Saskatchewan Literacy Network Saskatchewan Aboriginal Literacy Network

READ Saskatoon Prince Albert Literacy Network

Saskatchewan Association of School Councils Al Ritchie Community Association

Committees

Regina Literacy Association

Al Ritchie Family Wellness Centre Steering Committee HCHY Regina—Alliance of Asset Champions

United Way – Supporting Families Impact Table Regina Area Early Childhood Network

Documents

March 2009 RFLN Network News