New magazine for parents can help you celebrate National Family Literacy Day!
On November 1, 2007, NCFL will release the new magazine, Cultivating Readers: Making Reading Active and Fun! To learn more, click here.
Learning is a family legacy… Pass it on!
National Family Literacy Day is officially celebrated on November 1st, but many events are held throughout the month of November. It’s never been more important to spread the word in your community and build awareness for the importance of families working together toward a better educated tomorrow.
Below are some ways programs have celebrated National Family Literacy Day in their communities. These ideas were submitted by Family Literacy Alliance members. Hopefully their success will inspire you to create your own special event!
Other helpful resources from NCFL:
-
-
Tips for Parents (including the downloadable Special Topic: "Celebrate Literacy" Year-Long Calendar)
-
Toyota Families for Learning Program – Whittier Elementary – Cincinnati, OH
Whittier Elementary, one of three Toyota Families for Learning sites in Cincinnati held a “Reading for Family Literacy” event on November 1 in honor of National Family Literacy Day. Sponsored by Cincinnati Public Schools, Half-Price Books, the Public Library of Cincinnati, the Literacy Network of Greater Cincinnati and Price Hill Community Center, the event featured Cincinnati firemen and policemen reading books to children at Whittier Elementary. Parents enrolled in the family literacy program received free books to take home and read to their own children.
LIFT-Missouri – St. Ann, MO
LIFT, Missouri’s Literacy Resource Center had November 1 proclaimed National Family Literacy Day by Governor Bob Holden. Over 1300 family literacy flyers (family literacy description and PACT Time activities), a copy of the proclamation and the National Family Literacy Day calendar were mailed to all the elementary schools in the state for distribution to their students. A number of schools used the day to invite parents into the schools as mystery readers.
Madison Society of Literacy – Zanesville, OH
The Madison Society of Literacy joined the John McIntyre Library, Buckeye Stoneware, and Zanesville Even Start to celebrate National Family Literacy Day with two events. Local “Celebrity Readers” shared their favorite childhood books and stories with area preschools, schools, childcare centers, Head Start programs, and others in the community while later in the evening a Celebrity Pottery Auction (pottery designed by Senator John Glenn, former First Lady Barbara Bush, among others) raised funds to help support local family literacy and other literacy efforts.
DC Public Schools Even Start Family Literacy Program – Washington, D.C.
The DC Public Schools Even Start Family Literacy Program held a “Passport to Literacy” event at the Capital Children’s Museum for more than 300 parents and children. Volunteers from eight countries read stories about their culture at different, culturally-decorated reading stations. Children in attendance received a stamp of that country in their “passport” to show where they’d been. Thanks to a donation from First Union National Bank-Wachovia, each child received at least two books and families received free passes to the Capital Children’s Museum.
Tri-Town Even Start Family Literacy Program – Johnston, RI
On National Family Literacy Day, the Tri-Town Even Start Family Literacy Program sponsored a presentation of “Little Red Riding Hood” at Old County Elementary School. A well-known local children’s theater group, Kaleidoscope Theater, presented a musical adaptation of the children’s tale that teaches two important lessons for children: the importance of not going with strangers and why children should never touch or play with guns. The performers involved the children in the performance and later answered questions and signed autographs.
ACE Squared Family Education Program – Madisonville, KY
With a theme of “Reading with Our Heroes,” National Family Literacy Day was celebrated during three nights of activities at the local mall where the adult education center is located. Partners for this multi-day event were the Family Resource Centers, ReadMore Bookstore, Title I, ACE2 Adult Education Center and many heroes in the community. Guest readers included local firemen, policemen, the Madisonville Mayor, Red Cross volunteers, ministers, nurses and the director of the Senior Citizens’ Center. Guest readers read their favorite stories, followed by parent and child interactive activities. During the event, children received free books and the parents received handouts and tips on reading with their children.
Family Advocacy and Research Council, Inc. – Smyrna, DE
National Family Literacy Day is becoming a tradition in Delaware! Delaware celebrated with its sixth Family Literacy Day event sponsored by the Family Advocacy and Research Council, Inc. and Delaware’s PBS affiliate, WHYY TV12. The fair-style event provided games and activities for children and parents, information tables, book giveaways, prizes, balloons, jugglers, clowns, guest readers and more. Every child received a free book from donations by Scholastic. A new feature this year was the Delaware Student Testing Program (DSTP) Parent Help Desk, designed to assist parents as they help their child prepare for the state test by providing resources, ideas and learning activity packets.
De Queen Family Literacy Program – De Queen, AR
At De Queen Family Literacy Program, members of the high school Interact Club, a student division of Rotary International, dressed in costumes portraying characters from children’s stories and went to preschool and primary classes to read to children. Parents were invited to be in the classrooms for storytime. The high school kids loved it so much that they are now considering an international project called “Read to Feed.”
Adult and Community Education Department, Flagler County Schools – Palm Coast, FL
In celebration of National Family Literacy Day®, Flagler County Schools Adult and Community Education Department, in collaboration with the Flagler County Library, hosted the Third Annual Literacy Fair as a way of highlighting Adult Education’s family literacy programs. Exhibits and booths for the event showcased educational opportunities. A local featured guest entertained children and adults with puppets and storytelling. Approximately 100 community members attended the Literacy Fair and were able to learn more about the family literacy services in Flagler County. New students were recruited for the ABE, Even Start and ESOL programs.
|
