Sunday, December 30, 2007
City:
State:
Section: Opinion
Page: 5
From: Other
Source:
Publication: Star-Gazette
Books promote community partnerships
‰ Local students use |literature to connect with senior citizen living centers
‰ Local students use |
literature to connect with
senior citizen living centers.
literature to connect with
senior citizen living centers.
Service learning connects curricu¨
lum and skills to community needs.
Students make decisions and partici¨
pate in projects that have real-life re¨
sults as they apply academic, social
and personal skills to benefit the com¨
munity. Seventeen elementary, mid¨
dle and high schools in our area are
working on projects this year through
a Learn and Serve America grant.
Reading is an important part of suc¨
cessful service learning.
Literature can be a springboard for
discovering how to help others.
Fiction and nonfic¨
tion books, including
picture books, are
valuable resources
for learning about
community needs.
Books may be read
aloud or silently.
They may be used at
any phase of service
learning, but they are
especially valuable
during the time stu¨
dents are doing
preparation to learn
about a topic.
For example, some of our students
are working with adults in Villa
Serene, Flannery Towers,
Woodbrook, Colony Park Apartments
or the Chemung County Nursing
Facility. There are recommended
books about elders for all school lev¨
els.
For elementary students, "The
Hundred Penny Box" by Shannon
Bell Mathis may lead students to
gather oral histories from elders. In
middle school, students could read
"Tuck Everlasting" by Natalie Babbitt
to discover the importance of valuing
each stage of life. In high school, "The
Bonesetterís Daughter" by Amy Tan
may provide a catalyst for discussion
about elders and how important their
stories are to us.
As students interact with their
books, they identify with characters
and events and become that much
more invested in their service learn¨
ing projects. Students may ask them¨
selves questions about problems or
conflicts in the stories and think
about how that may apply to their
own communities.
Well-written books help students
tap into their curiosity and inspire
them to consider important topics.
Reading is clearly the foundation of
learning. Books chosen for a specific
purpose provide knowledge and a
motivation for service in the commu¨
nity.
Maureen Nicolo is the Learn and
Serve Project coordinator and is a
member of the Family Reading
Partnership of Chemung Valley. Her
comments are part of a monthly se¨
ries of articles about literacy.
Fiction and nonfic¨
tion books, including
picture books, are
valuable resources
for learning about
community needs.
Books may be read
aloud or silently.
They may be used at
any phase of service
learning, but they are
especially valuable
during the time stu¨
dents are doing
preparation to learn
about a topic.
For example, some of our students
are working with adults in Villa
Serene, Flannery Towers,
Woodbrook, Colony Park Apartments
or the Chemung County Nursing
Facility. There are recommended
books about elders for all school lev¨
els.
For elementary students, "The
Hundred Penny Box" by Shannon
Bell Mathis may lead students to
gather oral histories from elders. In
middle school, students could read
"Tuck Everlasting" by Natalie Babbitt
to discover the importance of valuing
each stage of life. In high school, "The
Bonesetterís Daughter" by Amy Tan
may provide a catalyst for discussion
about elders and how important their
stories are to us.
As students interact with their
books, they identify with characters
and events and become that much
more invested in their service learn¨
ing projects. Students may ask them¨
selves questions about problems or
conflicts in the stories and think
about how that may apply to their
own communities.
Well-written books help students
tap into their curiosity and inspire
them to consider important topics.
Reading is clearly the foundation of
learning. Books chosen for a specific
purpose provide knowledge and a
motivation for service in the commu¨
nity.
Maureen Nicolo is the Learn and
Serve Project coordinator and is a
member of the Family Reading
Partnership of Chemung Valley. Her
comments are part of a monthly se¨
ries of articles about literacy.
or the Chemung County Nursing
Facility. There are recommended
books about elders for all school lev¨
els.
For elementary students, "The
Hundred Penny Box" by Shannon
Bell Mathis may lead students to
gather oral histories from elders. In
middle school, students could read
"Tuck Everlasting" by Natalie Babbitt
to discover the importance of valuing
each stage of life. In high school, "The
Bonesetterís Daughter" by Amy Tan
may provide a catalyst for discussion
about elders and how important their
stories are to us.
As students interact with their
books, they identify with characters
and events and become that much
more invested in their service learn¨
ing projects. Students may ask them¨
selves questions about problems or
conflicts in the stories and think
about how that may apply to their
own communities.
Well-written books help students
tap into their curiosity and inspire
them to consider important topics.
Reading is clearly the foundation of
learning. Books chosen for a specific
purpose provide knowledge and a
motivation for service in the commu¨
nity.
Maureen Nicolo is the Learn and
Serve Project coordinator and is a
member of the Family Reading
Partnership of Chemung Valley. Her
comments are part of a monthly se¨
ries of articles about literacy.
ing projects. Students may ask them¨
selves questions about problems or
conflicts in the stories and think
about how that may apply to their
own communities.
Well-written books help students
tap into their curiosity and inspire
them to consider important topics.
Reading is clearly the foundation of
learning. Books chosen for a specific
purpose provide knowledge and a
motivation for service in the commu¨
nity.
Maureen Nicolo is the Learn and
Serve Project coordinator and is a
member of the Family Reading
Partnership of Chemung Valley. Her
comments are part of a monthly se¨
ries of articles about literacy.
-------------------------
Copyright 2005 -
Make time for holiday reading
* Donít forget to spend time with the written word.
It is official that the holidays are upon us. With the start of October, we are inundated with information on the upcoming holidays from October through January. Even with all of the extra strains on our time and our energies, there is still enough time in the day to read to our children.
The last time I checked, everyone still gets 24 hours a day ó no more, no less. There is no shortage of time. For three decades, two professors have been doing a study of peopleís daily schedules, using thousands of personal-time diaries. This decade shows Americans have five more free hours a week than we did 10 years ago.
The reason we feel so stressed is because we are all continuously multitasking. Instead of simply driving our children to a soccer game, we are driving and making an appointment on the cell phone.
At the game, we are networking with a neighbor about the refreshments at the preschool picnic, watching the game and taking calls on the ubiquitous cell phone. We are not out of time. We are out of breath.
To easily dispel the time myth, count the number of video stores you pass in one day and then count the number of channels on your television. If Americans were out of time, the video stores would be in bankruptcy, and you would have only 10 channels on your TV and only one TV set in the house.
We have time for what we value. The people who find the time to read to a child and to themselves yesterday had the same 24 hours as the person who has no time to read, but did watch their favorite team on TV and the afternoon soap they taped, did find the time to talk on the phone for 35 minutes, and did find the time to run errands.
Time is the great filtering agent in success. Help your child (or another child you know) become a success in school and in life ó read to them for 15 minutes each day. We all have the time for that.
Here are this monthís book suggestions:
* ìCloudy with a Chance of Meatballsî by Judi Barrett. This book is appropriate for children ages preschool to fifth grade. In the fantasy land of Chewandswallow, the weather changes three times a day, supplying all the residents with food out of the sky. But suddenly the weather takes a turn for the worse. You will have to read the book to find out the rest of the story.
* ìThe Magic Paintbrushî by Robin Miller. This book is appropriate for children in grades one through five. Nib is an illiterate street orphan with an ambition but not the money to become a great artist. When he comes to the aid of an old man being robbed in an alley, he is rewarded with a magic paintbrush that will bring to life whatever he paints.
* ìThe Search for Deliciousî by Natalie Babbitt. This book is appropriate for children in grades three through seven. After a nasty argument among the king, queen, and their court over the correct meaning of the word ìdelicious,î the prime ministerís adopted son is dispatched to poll the kingdom to determine the choice of the people.
Paige Kinnaird is coordinator of the Elmira school districtís Family Resource Center and a member of the Family Reading Partnership of Chemung Valley. Her comments are part of a monthly series of articles about literacy. Information contained in this article was excerpted with permission from The Read Aloud Handbook fifth edition by Jim Trelease.
-------------------------------------------
Sunday, October 21, 2007
The importance of health literacy
* Patients, providers must ensure clear understanding.
October is Health Literacy Month. The document known as Healthy People 2010 contains our national health goals and strategies. Improving health literacy is an important component in providing and receiving effective health services that promote overall health outcome improvements. Health People 2010 defines health literacy as ìthe degree to which individuals have the capacity to obtain, process and understand basic health information and services needed to make appropriate health decisions.î In this statement, the individual holds the central responsibility for understanding health information.
Others have defined health literacy as a responsibility shared by the individual and the health professional. Well-known health literacy advocate and author Helen Osborne has defined health literacy as ìa shared responsibility in which patients and providers each must communicate in ways the other can understand.î Clear communication using words, both printed and spoken, and symbols that are known to both parties can facilitate understanding.
Basic literacy is at the root of comprehending words and symbols that impact health literacy. Determining the reading skill of an individual patient is difficult in many health settings, but that is a vital step in determining what approaches to use to deliver instructions and information.
Individuals who face challenges in understanding printed health information need to openly share with health professionals that they need clarification because of literacy limitations. Conversely, it is the responsibility of health professionals to assess the degree to which patients can read or hear information in such a way as to understand and act on that information. The shared capacity of patients and professionals to communicate openly until all aspects of health care instructions are understood may determine the individualís health outcomes. We all have a stake in promoting basic literacy and health literacy.
Joyce Hyatt, a registered nurse and grant facilitator with the Chemung Valley Rural Health Network, is a member of the Family Reading Partnership of Chemung Valley. Her comments are part of a monthly series of articles about literacy.
----------------------------
Sunday, September 16, 2007
Join the community reading challenge
* Weíre going for a record on Thursday with ëThe Story of Ferdinand.í
ìThe single most important activity for building the knowledge required for eventual success in reading is reading aloud to children,î writes Jim Trelease, author of ìThe Read-Aloud Handbook.î
Reading aloud to children, of all ages, is truly the best way that we as parents and community members can help build a strong foundation for our future. By reading to a child, we are able to condition the childís brain to associate reading with pleasure, create vital background knowledge, build vocabulary and provide a reading role model.
Reading aloud to children does not stop when they enter school or learn to read for themselves. Whenever an adult reads to a child, three important things are happening simultaneously and painlessly:
* A pleasure-connection is being made between child and book.
* Parent and child are learning something from the book theyíre sharing.
* The adult is pouring sounds and syllables called words into the childís ear. These are advantages for children (and adults) of any age.
We know the power of reading to a child is immeasurable. What about the power of reading to hundreds of children on the same day?
On Thursday, the Family Reading Partnership of Chemung Valley is participating in a communitywide Read for the Record event in conjunction with local school districts, the City of Elmira and the Chemung County Library District. We invite you to read to a child (or group of children) on that day.
What should you read? ìThe Story of Ferdinand.î
Why? To help set a new record for the number of reading aloud events of a single title in one day.
How do you get involved? Register at www.readforthe record.com, request a copy of the book from your favorite local library, or contact the Family Reading Partnership at familyreadingpartnership@ yahoo.com for a free copy. We have 50 copies to distribute in the community.
Report back to our Family Partnership e-mail address and let us know how many children you read to on Thursday.
Paige Kinnaird is the Parent Child Resource Center coordinator at Booth School in Elmira and a member of the Family Reading Partnership of Chemung Valley. Todayís article is a continuation of a series of monthly installments on reading.
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