Learning With My Child -
Sault Saint Louis School Board
Gillian di Vito
Introduction
In 1991 the Sault Saint Louis School Board adopted a three year plan
with the eradication of illiteracy as one of its top priorities. Among
the approaches put forward, Learning With My Child was
identified to encourage parents to participate in the literacy
development of their early school age children. The program also
sought to address the literacy needs of young students with learning
difficulties. Learning With My Child is based on the
understanding that children’s reading development is influenced
by adult models who enjoy reading at home and who value reading with
their children. Experience indicated that children with few early
literacy experiences at home were more likely to encounter
difficulties in beginning reading on entering school. It was the aim
of the School Board to provide a community-based, preventive program
for literacy development, with the focus on family involvement.
Sault Saint Louis School Board covers three municipalities in the
southwest section of the Island of Montreal – LaSalle, Lachine,
and St. Pierre. The majority of the population is French speaking.
While a large minority is anglophone, this group includes new
immigrants who speak neither official language. Demographic studies
identify the community as a largely blue collar, working class area,
with pockets of low cost housing developments for low income and
social assistance residents. Many residents face socio-economic
difficulties which make entry into the workforce difficult.
Nevertheless, this aspect is balanced by significant numbers of
families who are financially secure, are French and/or English
speaking, and include many trilingual immigrant families. Sports
facilities are excellent; each of the three municipalities boasts a
library and cultural centre to serve its population. Public transport
in the region allows easy access to downtown Montreal.
The Adult Education sector of the School Board has always been
active and innovative in reaching out to its community. Studies had
shown that only a small number of potential adult student clientele
were being served by the adult education sector (literacy, second
language, secondary/vocational school). In 1990 Learning with My
Child was conceived as one way to reach those not accessing all
the services available in the community. We were fortunate to have a
Director of Adult Education with a vision to promote both preventive
and remedial programs for adult literacy. His enthusiasm encouraged
staff to apply individual interests in order to promote literacy
initiatives which would encourage adult learners and family
involvement in education. A community program in Hull, Quebec, which
used volunteer visitors to homes of adult students as a means to
upgrade literacy and learning within families became a focus for
family literacy development in the Sault Saint Louis School Board. |