- Workshops can be a good way to reach parents. Results of the
survey undertaken by the Saskatchewan Childcare Association (S.C.C.A.) indicate
that daycare personnel see value in offering parents a chance to get together
and learn. This can be done informally over a potluck gathering or can be
offered as part of a professional development series for both staff and
parents. It may take a while for parents to attend regularly but this too is a
matter of perseverance and encouragement. The book by Getting Involved -
Workshops for Parents by Ellen Frede is a very good resource available from
the S.C.C.A. It may help if you decide to offer or co-sponsor a workshop. Also,
don’t forget to contact the S.C.C.A. and other agencies to see what they
might already be offering. Simply advertising what is already available is a
valuable service and takes little time and/or effort.
These are ideas that will make it easier for you to reach parents and have
them understand your motivation in doing Family Literacy. Your enthusiasm and
interest in this field will be contagious! It is necessary to remember that all
families practice some form of Family Literacy albeit different from that of
other families. The book Many Families, Many Literacies by Deny Taylor
explains to us that even the most “needy” families usually targeted
for Family Literacy programming exhibit many examples of good family literacy
practices. So, while your enthusiasm and energy to do family literacy may take
you in one direction, please remember that there are other directions that are
just as worthwhile to travel!
It is important to adults that any learning they do be relevant to their
everyday life. It becomes very important that your Family Literacy work take
into account that what you do with the children is something that parents can
easily duplicate at home.
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