Showing posts with label Family Literacy. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Family Literacy. Show all posts

Thursday, December 10, 2020

Redlands Library ▬ Family Literacy Program Celebrates The Wonders Of Reading

Redlands Family Literacy Program Celebrates The Wonders Of Reading

Family Literacy Program
Redlands Daily Facts: 12.04.2020 by Diane Shimota, Adult Literacy Coord-A.K. Smiley Library

The Family Literacy Program began one year ago at A.K. Smiley Public Library and what a year it has been for all of us! The California State Library provided funding for the Family Literacy Program because research has shown that parents are their children’s first and most important teachers. Family literacy introduces adult learners and their children to the value of reading together and helps parents develop skills to support their children’s education with fun and creative learning activities.

Prior to the library’s closure in March due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the Family Literacy Program participants met in-person. Parents and children made new friends and supported each other as they learned new strategies to encourage a love of reading. Family literacy coordinators Joan Prehoda and Renee Kennedy adapted the program to online meetings using Zoom last May. These online meetings provided new and unanticipated opportunities for families to learn. Children as young as age 5 learned how to take Zoom polls online and join breakout rooms.

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Even though the zoom meetings were successful, families were excited to return to in-person meetings at the A.K. Smiley Public Library where they met outdoors in the Children’s Garden in a socially distanced and safe way. This provided an opportunity for families to connect with one another safely from across the garden.

The Way I Feel
At the November meeting families discussed the concept of emotions and appropriate ways for their children to express those feelings. Families read “The Way I Feel” by Janan Cain and asked the children to use play dough on a face mat to recreate several different feelings.  READ MORE ➤➤



To learn more, join us at a Zoom Tutor Orientation.
Please call the Redlands Adult Literacy Program office
at 909.798.7565, ext. 4138
or email mailto:literacy@akspl.org to sign up for the Orientation.

 

Readability Consensus
Based on 7 readability formulas:
Grade Level: 11
Reading Level: fairly difficult to read.
Reader's Age: 15-17 yrs. old
(Tenth to Eleventh graders)


Friday, October 30, 2020

Redlands Library ▬ Redlands Celebrates Adult Literacy Program

Redlands Celebrates Adult Literacy Program

Redlands Community News: 10.29.2020 by Shari Forbes

Revived 10 years ago, it sparkles in city’s crown of jewels

If Redlands is the Jewel of the Inland Empire, then the A.K. Smiley Public Library’s Adult Literacy Program is one of the brightest jewels in the city's crown.

For a decade, the program has changed lives and opened new vistas for hundreds of community members with its team of volunteers who provide one-on-one confidential tutoring in reading and writing to help learners in the Redlands community reach their literacy goals.

And it’s free.

“All it takes is a desire to improve your literacy skills and a commitment to meet with your tutor once a week for six months,” said Diane Shimota, coordinator of the Adult Literacy program.

“For many folks with low-literacy skills, there is often the stigma of embarrassment and lack of confidence. We provide a safe, non-threatening and confidential learning environment with a caring tutor who is focused solely on literacy goals.”

An added bonus is the learning venue. The beautiful architecture of the historic A.K. Smiley Library provides peaceful aesthetic settings for learner-tutor sessions.

Coping with COVID

The library reopened on Sept. 9 on a limited basis after being closed for more than six months because of the COVID-19 pandemic. This did not stop the literacy program. Learners continued to meet weekly with their tutors via Zoom or on the telephone. Now they can return to the library by reserving space in advance and adhering to COVID-19 guidelines.

Adult learner Guillermina Rangel met her tutor Katherine Gifford in person for the first time during the interview for this feature story. Until this physically distanced meeting in the library garden on Tuesday, Oct. 20, they had been meeting over the telephone.  READ MORE ➤➤

 Interested in Volunteering?

Volunteers are from our community and must be at least 18 years old.  No previous teaching experience is required.  Tutor qualifications are: the ability to speak, read, and write English; compassion and sensitivity to the needs of adult learners; and the willingness to be trained to assist the learner in meeting the learner’s goals.

To learn more, join us at a Zoom Tutor Orientation.

Please call the Redlands Adult Literacy Program office at 909.798.7565, ext. 4138 or email literacy@akspl.org to sign up for the Orientation or if you have any questions. We look forward to hearing from you!

Volunteers are needed to:

Tutor: Tutors meet weekly with learners for 1½ hours on a date and time that fits with their schedules.  Meetings occur at A. K. Smiley Library or at library-approved locations.  Tutors are provided with teaching materials and techniques to assist with any challenges that may arise.

Literacy Class Volunteers: Volunteers are also needed for adult literacy computer classes, conversation classes, book clubs, public outreach and other adult literacy activities. If you are interested in supporting adult literacy but cannot make a weekly commitment, we welcome you as an adult literacy volunteer!

Readability Consensus
Based on 7 readability formulas:
Grade Level: 9
Reading Level: fairly difficult to read.
Reader's Age: 13-15 yrs. old
(Eighth and Ninth graders)


Saturday, October 3, 2020

California Book Festivals & Events ▬ October 2020


California Book Festivals & Events ▬ October 2020
Books, Comics, Poetry, Storytelling, Writing and More !

Oct 03-04      VIRTUAL LA Times Festival of Books
Oct 07            Random Acts of Poetry Day
Oct 08-24      VIRTUAL LitQuake SF
Oct 09            VIRTUAL Kidquake 2020
Oct 16            VIRTUAL Kidquake 2020
Oct 17            Black Poetry Day
Oct 24            VIRTUAL Lit Crawl LA LAPL Central Library & Downtown


Monday, September 21, 2020

Orange Co Library ▬ READ OC ▬ OC Public Libraries Launches Back-to-School Events To Support Distance Learning

OC Public Libraries Launches Back-to-School Events To Support Distance Learning


OC Breeze:
9.19.2020

With school looking different this year, OC Public Libraries’ literacy program, OC READ / Families for Literacy (OC READ), will be launching a series of Back-to-School events to support distance learning.

“The County understands the need for literacy and family engagement are important in building a foundation for learning,” said Chairwoman Michelle Steel, Second District Supervisor. “The goal of the Back-to-School events is to help support the community and encourage a culture of reading and learning for the entire family.”

OC READ offers literacy assistance to adults and their families, and the Back-to-School events are aimed to promote literacy and help create “home libraries” to support student learning.

“Distance learning has been challenging for many parents and students,” said Vice Chairman Andrew Do, First District Supervisor. “Now more than ever, it is important that we provide essential support services to our communities through our local county libraries.”

The Back-to-School events will take place from 4 p.m. to 6 p.m. in the parking lot at the following library locations and dates:

Westminster Library: Tuesday, September 22

La Palma Library: Wednesday, September 23

Stanton Library: Thursday, September 24

Garden Grove Main Library: Tuesday, September 29

Garden Grove Chapman Library: Wednesday, September 30

La Habra Library: Thursday, October 1

“These Back-to-School events are part of the creative community outreach efforts OC Public Libraries is initiating to ensure they stay connected with their users,” said Supervisor Donald Wagner, Third District.

The Back-to-School events will include free books and crafts provided by OC Public Libraries staff to families while they remain safely in their vehicles.  READ MORE ➤➤

 

Automatic Readability Checker

Readability Consensus

Based on 7 readability formulas:

Grade Level: 13

Reading Level: difficult to read.

Reader's Age: 18-19 yrs. old

(college level entry)


Tuesday, August 4, 2020

Redlands Library ▬ Redlands Family’s Literacy Journey Leads To Educational, Employment Opportunities


Redlands Family’s Literacy Journey Leads To Educational, Employment Opportunities
Redlands Daily Facts: 8.01.2020  by Diane Shimota, Adult Literacy Coordinator-A.K. Smiley Library

Many adults who join the Redlands Adult Literacy Program want to improve their reading and writing skills so they can get better jobs, further their own education, and advocate for their children. Through hard work and perseverance adult learners can change their own and their family’s lives for the better. 
The following is a story of adult learners who graduated from the Redlands Adult Literacy Program and, with their new literacy skills, started a business, earned a GED, and encouraged their children to excel in their education.

Monica Sanchez joined the adult literacy program in February 2014 because she needed to become an advocate for her special needs son. Working with her tutor, Rebecca McCurdy, she gained literacy skills that enabled her to communicate effectively with teachers and medical professionals, understand medical directives, and support her son. Monica’s goals changed over time to include dreams of attaining her GED, supporting her children with their education, and getting a better job. Monica diligently worked for four years in the literacy program to improve her reading, grammar, vocabulary, and writing. She celebrated when she earned her GED in 2017 because this opened doors to better employment.

In 2018, she was hired by the Redlands Unified School District to work as a campus monitor at an elementary school. Monica shared, “I liked being a campus monitor; it was a fun and comfortable job for me. I was playing with kids and getting paid for that.”

When the coronavirus pandemic forced the closure of schools, Monica, like so many others, found herself unemployed. She eventually began working as a DoorDash driver and used this as an opportunity to teach her younger children about what it was like to have a job and manage their own money; they helped her leave meals on porches and Monica gave them an allowance of $1 per delivery.

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Monica’s husband, Armando Sanchez, also joined the literacy program in 2014. His goals were to improve his reading and writing in order to advance at his job at Ashley Furniture and to have a better life.  READ MORE ➤➤

Readability Consensus
Based on 7 readability formulas:
Grade Level: 12
Reading Level: difficult to read.
Reader's Age: 17-18 yrs. old
(Twelfth graders)

Saturday, June 27, 2020

Riverside County Library ◯ Family Literacy Program


Family Literacy Program

The family literacy program at the Riverside County Library System’s Literacy Services is the newest addition to our program offerings thanks to the California Library Literacy Services generous support. This program provides literacy support to adult learners and their families to increase literacy skills across generations.

Family Programming

Libraries throughout Riverside County will be hosting different family literacy events and workshops, which include the following programs:

Family Literacy Hour
– This program offers an overview of the importance of early reading, shared reading strategies, and at-home literacy activity ideas.

Literacy and Loteria
– This program offers four weekly workshops for parents and caregivers on the following topics: Family Goal Setting

◆ Sparking Conversations with Your Family
◆ Shared Book Reading
◆ Taking Reading Outside the Cover
◆ Raising a Reader
– This program is offered during a library’s story time by providing a books for children and families to take home and read together over a period of a few months.
◆ The Lit Café
– This program offers more in-depth literacy workshop skills for both caregivers and their child.  READ MORE ➤➤

Readability Consensus
Based on 7 readability formulas:
Grade Level: 20
Reading Level: very difficult to read.
Reader's Age: College graduate

Sunday, April 26, 2020

San Diego Public Library ◯ READ San Diego ◯ Families for Literacy: Arts and Crafts/Hopes and Wishes Box

Families for Literacy  Arts and Crafts/Hopes and Wishes Box
READ/San Diego: 4.08.2020

Craft: Hopes and Wishes Box for Healthcare Workers


Families for Literacy Program
In addition to providing individual one-on-one tutoring for adults, READ also conducts Families for Literacy. This program is designed to break the cycle of intergenerational low-literacy. They do this by teaching low-literate parents and caregivers with preschool children the skills they need to be their children's first and most important teacher. Families for Literacy also provides age-appropriate books to help families build home libraries - a critical component for improving literacy for the whole family.


Tuesday, April 7, 2020

Colton Library ◯ Brings Forth Edutainment During Quarantine


Colton Public Library Brings Forth Edutainment During Quarantine
IECN: 3.31.2020 by Manny B. Sandoval

Amidst COVID-19 stay-at-home orders, Colton Public Library brings forth creative activities for the entire family in an innovative way to connect to the community.

Since the middle of March, the library staff and its Literacy Program Assistant Thomas Robles (Library Tom) have generated Facebook and YouTube videos, inclusive of story time, a sing-a-long music segment and even cooking demonstrations.

“We began this online Library Tom Storytime series about three weeks ago. The Community Services Department is unable to engage with the community at this time, so we found a way to bring stories, music and activities to children and families in Colton and beyond,” said Robles.  READ MORE ➤➤

Friday, February 28, 2020

California Book Festivals & Events ◯ March 2020

California Book Festivals & Events ◯ March 2020
Books, Comics, Poetry, Storytelling, Writing and More !


Mar 07       SBCUSD Literacy Day San Gorgonio High School
Mar 07       Literary Women – Festival of Authors Long Beach
Mar 10       Spanish Language Book Fair Reforma & Santa Monica Library Pico Branch
Mar 20       World Storytelling Day A global celebration of storytelling
Mar 21       San Diego Storytelling Festival Encinitas Library      
Mar 22        Pasadena Festival of Women's Authors
Mar 25       Women's Literary Festival Salon Santa Barbara 5:30p
Mar 28       Black Writers On Tour Carson
Mar 28       Irwindale Spring Book Festival Irwindale Library
Mar 28       Read Locally: A Local Author Festival 2020 Yorba Linda Library


Wednesday, January 22, 2020

Redlands Library ◯ New Literacy Program In Redlands Focuses On Families

New Literacy Program In Redlands Focuses On Families
Redlands Daily Facts: 1.18.2020 by Diane Shimota by Adult Literacy Coord-A.K. Smiley Library

Many adults enroll in the Adult Literacy Program at A.K. Smiley Public Library to improve their reading and writing so that they can read to their children, help their children with their homework, and communicate effectively with their children’s teachers.

In September 2019, the California Library Literacy Services (CLLS), recognizing that parents and caregivers are their children’s first and most important teachers, awarded the adult literacy program at Smiley library a grant to fund a family literacy program. The mission of the program is to introduce adult learners and their children to the value and pleasure of reading together and to reduce the risk of multi-generational illiteracy.

The Family Literacy Program at Smiley library helps low-literacy parents develop the skills to support their children’s education and teaches families how to create positive learning experiences. At monthly family literacy meetings, participants learn from each other and family literacy consultants Renee Kennedy and Joan Prehoda, who engage both parents and children in activities that encourage reading comprehension.  READ MORE >>

Next Tutor Orientation
Jan 28 ◯ 6pm

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