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    FAMILY       ENGAGEMENT       AGENDA HOME

    CURRENT AND       RECENT INITIATIVES
            
         •
The Jacksonville
            Pre-Collegiate
            Connections: College
            Reach-Out Program
            
         Family Engagement
            and Early Learning
            Community
                 • Overview
                 • Workshop 1
                 • Workshop 2
                 Workshop 3
                 • Workshop 4
                 • Workshop 5
                 Workshop 6
                 • Workshop 7
                  Workshop 8

         Family Get-Together:
            Literacy Through the             Arts

    CONTACT       INFORMATION  

 


Family Learning Logo
Family Engagement and Early Learning Community: a neighborhood-level, collaborative partnership designed for families of preschool and kindergarten age children. The Learning Community, anchored by an elementary school, included families from neighborhood childcare centers, school readiness and Title 1 programs, neighborhood public libraries, and a university research group.


Families Learning Together fosters school success and promotes resiliency in young children by encouraging home/school partnerships and active participation of families in the education of the preschool and kindergarden children. The workshops below were developed for use with families of children entering kidergarden.


FAMILIES LEARNING TOGETHER WORKSHOP SERIES

*Any or all of this worshops are available to downlaod and use at no cost.

The modules presented here were funded in part by the Office of Postsecondary Education, U.S. Department of Education as part of the Virtual School Readiness Incubator Project, the Department of Health and Human Services, Administration on Children, Youth and Families as part of the Early Learning Opportunities Act/Bringing Education and Support to Teachers, Parents and Children (ELOA/BEST) Project, and the Florida Institute of Education at the University of North Florida. The content of these modules does not necessarily reflect the views or policies or imply endorsement by the U.S. Department of Education, the Department of Health and Human Services, and/or the University of North Florida.


Program Goals:

  • Encourage families to become partners in their children’s education.

  • Increase family’s knowledge of emergent literacy activities.

  • Engage families in conversations about parenting strategies that support learning and school success.

  • Encourage the creation of literacy-rich home environments.

  • Provide resources to support family engagement in learning.

Program Description:

Families from the Learning Community participated in a series of 15 biweekly two-hour workshops; which were organized into three units of five sessions each. Adults who attended the Family Workshops participated in Family Conversations, Family Learning Time, Dinner and Discussion and Adult/Child Practice Time. Children, eighteen months to twelve years of age, attended Children’s Club. Children’s Club was an educational child care program under the direction of a certified teacher and trained assistants. Children participated in structured activities that included story time, free play, and dinner time.

Family Literacy Bags were distributed at each workshop. Each Bag contained two children’s books, learning materials to use with the books, and a set of activity cards designed in accordance with age appropriate State of Florida Literacy Standards. Families were encouraged to use the books and materials at home with their children to increase their reading readiness and preparation for school.

Weekly telephone calls were made following the workshops to answer questions and encourage families to use the literacy materials provided at the workshops.

Outcomes:

    • Response to a Family Involvement and Learning Survey indicated that participating families increased their

        • understanding of their role in helping their children in school,
        • perceptions of their ability to help their children learn,
        • understanding of how to help their children,
        • spending time helping their child at home,
        • use of opportunities to turn everyday activities into learning activities.

 


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Florida Institute of Education at the University of North Florida
12000 Alumni Drive • Jacksonville, Florida 32224
Phone: (904) 620-2496 • Fax: (904) 620-2454

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