Project Snapshot
It's amazing the things people feel passionate about. Recently someone
told me that a master's in communication "spoke to her soul." My best
friend has been absolutely glowing lately. It's not that she's getting
married, or having a baby, but that she has found her calling as a
realtor. As for me, my passion starts with sound, and so does every
one of my days. My site is a Head Start program, and there is always
noise. Sound is funneled in from the riotous playground, and moves
down the hallway; the solid weight of laughter drowns out instructions.
Cacophony breaks only seconds before the crisp eruption of outside
air, still clinging to coats and on the children's laughing breath,
washes over me. I am propelled by the force of 17 four year olds down
the rest of the hallway and into the classroom.
"Miss Amy, are we going to do journals today?"
"Miss Amy, my sister Vanessa's name starts with a V!"
"Miss Amy, last week you said I could be first today. Can I still
tell you the story?"
"Miss Amy, my zipper is stuck. Can you help me?"
Tugging at the stubborn zipper on Amanda's pink and purple coat,
I answer each child's question . . . "Yes, Emely, I'm here to do journals.
Harley, you're right! Can you think of anything else that starts with
a V? Melyssa, I would love to hear your story. I've been looking forward
to it all week." This is how most of the journaling times begin, with
the confusion and excitement that characterize so many events for
children of this age.
As the children hang up their coats, Emely holds back, but as soon
as she sees me settling myself in a child-size chair, she joins me
at the literacy center. Patiently she waits while I sort through the
unstable stack of wallpaper-bound journals to find hers. "Would you
like to tell me a story today, Emely?" (Pause.) "Would you like to
use the pencils or the markers?" (Pause.) "That's a beautiful sweater,
Emely. The flowers remind me of the story you told me last week."
Finally, she rewards me with a glance from her disarming coffee-colored
eyes. Sitting next to me, Emely opens her journal and neatly folds
the edge of the paper so that her page will lie flat while she writes.
Since the beginning of the year, Emely's literacy skills have increased
dramatically. I have been tracking her progress using the Emergent
Literacy curriculum, and she has progressed from Stage 1 to Stage
4 in the space of a few months. This represents substantial cognitive
growth. This advancement is especially significant considering that
Emely is an English as Second Language (ESL) student, and from a family
that speaks primarily Spanish. She is a naturally reserved child,
and is often hesitant to practice her language skills in class. The
time that she spends each week writing in her journal and talking
one on one with me is instrumental in helping her develop her new
language in a risk-free environment.
As Melyssa joins us and dives into a vivid account of going to the
store with her mother, Emely writes quietly and watches while she
elaborates on her own story. Another student, Tyler, stands near the
door with his bright yellow coat still on. Tyler is new to this class,
and in the month that he has been coming to Head Start he has refused
to take off his coat. Perhaps this gives him the security of thinking
that he is ready to leave at any moment. Edging around the table where
we sit, he makes me think of a vibrant yellow gazelle checking out
a potentially dangerous watering hole. "Would you like to join us,
Tyler?" When he doesn't respond, I think that today will probably
be like the last month has been; Tyler watches the other children
writing for most of the free choice time, but seems unable to let
himself join in. Today, however, I'm in for a surprise as he sits
down next to me.
"Tyler, I'm so glad you decided to join us! Here is a journal that
will be just for you to put your stories in. Would you put your name
on the front for me?"
Barely meeting my eyes, he informs me that he "can't make [his] name."
Knowing that providing a positive environment for the exploration
of the children's literacy skills is my first priority, I talk with
Tyler about what he can do. For the remainder of the hour, we painstakingly
work on forming each letter in Tyler's name, over and over. Emely
sits with us for most of the hourlong free time, and works her way
through three detailed stories. Caught up in the world of her imaginings,
Emely is animated as she weaves complicated plots in a lightly accented
voice. Melyssa sits for barely five minutes as she barrels through
her new story, and then she is off to another of the classroom centers.
Project Overview
The Head Start program has been enhancing the educational and social
experiences of low-income or at-risk children and families since 1965.
The Pocatello Head Start was one of the first programs to receive
grant status from the National Head Start Association (NHSA). Pocatello
and the surrounding communities have an average population of 60,000,
17 percent of whom live in poverty, as measured by federal guidelines.
Pocatello borders a Native American reservation and has a large Hispanic
population; both of these components are reflected in the Head Start
enrollment. The Pocatello Head Start provides 170 area families with
services, including a child-development preschool, health and nutrition
services, family support, parent education, and mental health services.
Head Start encompasses a complex mix of variables -- all of which
are based on the philosophy that for a child to succeed, the entire
family must support the child, and in turn be, supported by the school
and the community.
Strong literacy skills are fundamental for the success of children
and families. Without solid communication skills, adults and children
alike find it difficult to capitalize on opportunities. Such a situation
potentially leads to a sense of futility and of being trapped in less
than desirable circumstances. Repeated studies have linked low literacy
rates with unemployment, crime, and poverty. It is a challenge to
create a literacy program that addresses such problems, because there
are very different challenges that need to be accounted for in terms
of both adult and child literacy development.
The Head Start mission has evolved throughout the years to address
the changing needs of our families. As recently as 1998, there had
not been a specific literacy requirement for the program. However,
in October 1998, an amendment was added to the NHSA guidelines requiring
each accredited site to devote a portion of its program to family
literacy services. Family literacy as defined by the NHSA includes
"services that are of sufficient intensity in terms of hours, and
of sufficient duration, to make sustainable changes in a family."
The Pocatello Head Start program has approached this in several ways,
the journal writing project being a key element. The journal writing
project at Head Start was created to track the emergent literacy skills
of our three- and four-year-old students. Beyond the collection of
data however, it has provided an opportunity to foster our students'
confidence in their expression, and to acknowledge their effort and
progress. The program also focuses on expanding the adults' understanding
of the children's learning process and, in validating that, creating
a more rewarding experience for both the children and the adult staff
and volunteers.
Children in the age group that we serve, three-to-five year olds,
are just beginning to comprehend written communication. The challenge
for any adult in our program, whether staff or volunteer, is to foster
the students' sense of their own power of expression, while encouraging
the development of specific skills. Last year the state implemented
the Idaho Reading Indicator, a series of tests to evaluate a student's
reading proficiency, beginning when the student enters kindergarten
and continuing twice each year through third grade. This presents
a particular challenge for our literacy volunteers because it is not
the volunteers' responsibility to create directed lesson plans, or
to engage the students in structured activities. We are, however,
being pressured as never before to turn out students who are academically
equal to their more economically advantaged peers. Creating the literacy
volunteer program to augment the journal writing, has been one of
the ways in which we have addressed this challenge.
Through the literacy volunteer program, we have been able to expand
the journal writing project to seven of the 10 classrooms. Staff in
the other three classes have expressed interest in the journals, and
it has been a shortage of volunteers, not a shortage of opportunity,
that has kept the program from expanding into every class. Each volunteer
is trained in the Emergent Literacy philosophy and positive tutoring
practices before going into the classroom. The focus of the volunteer
corps is the interaction between the volunteers and the children.
This approach fits the Emergent Literacy philosophy well. This curriculum
suggests that the "development of literacy is taking place within
the child" and that given the child's own natural learning ability,
the "literacy skills will develop under the right conditions." When
we work with each child, one of our primary goals is to provide her
or him "with the right conditions."
The interest of the staff, which is evident in their level of participation,
is due in large part to the way that the journaling program is structured.
It provides for quality, literacy-directed, one-on-one time between
the student and the volunteer each week. In a class of 17 students
and two adult staff, there is little to no opportunity for the teachers
to spend this type of quality time with each student; therefore, for
an hour each week a volunteer works with between one and four children
at a time. The volunteer sits with the children in the literacy center
and engages them in the journal writing activity. Each student has
a journal, either spiral or wallpaper-bound, which is kept in the
classroom. While the students may access their journals when the volunteer
is not there, participation in the literacy centers tends to be very
low without an adult present. On the days that the volunteer is there,
however, a waiting list is often necessary so that every child who
is interested gets a turn.
While journaling is a child-driven activity, adult participation
is crucial. Kim Baumgartner, the education coordinator for the program,
believes that having "the volunteers there [in the classroom] to act
as facilitators seems to be one of the most beneficial parts of the
program." Indeed, repeated studies based around new brain-development
research have shown that an adult facilitator is vital in order for
the child to progress in the activity beyond a certain point. One
report based on observations of a classroom rich in literacy materials
states, "Physical resources are not enough. Adults must be available
to help children in various ways. Sometimes adults' comments are what
prompt children to think of writing." The journaling time is an occasion
for the students to discover their own power of communication. By
being there to question the children about their stories, to suggest
possible topics, or to demonstrate how a letter is written or a word
spelled, the volunteers are providing an excellent opportunity for
growth. One classroom teacher stated that "because of the individual
focus, each child [has been able to] fill many small journals throughout
the year."
Another component of the journaling project involves giving feedback
to the teachers concerning the progress and challenges of each student.
The volunteers are able to share specific examples of improvement,
or to talk with the teachers about concerns, from the point of view
of an objective but involved adult. The information that they share
with staff can be, and has been, passed on to the parents, thus increasing
the parents' knowledge about Emergent Literacy skills and their own
child's learning process. One of my responsibilities has included
providing the staff with training and information on Emergent Literacy
and to explain how this is the basis for the journal writing project.
The staff members, in turn, have been able to inform parents during
conferences regarding their children's progress and strengths. Stacey
Rude, a Head Start teacher, felt that the journal writing became "
a vital part of our classroom environment," and that findings were
"shared with staff and parents."
Impacts
While the journal writing only occurs onsite only, the effects can
be seen both in the home environment and in the classroom. Currently
there are six Head Start parents and one community member who are
serving as literacy volunteers for the journaling project here. This
is important not only in terms of the number of classes that can be
served -- seven classes currently, up from three last year -- but also in
terms of the number of parents who are receiving training. Such training
can be applied in the classes that they volunteer in, or at home with
their own families. The information in the training covers how parents
can create a literacy-rich environment (a critical element in helping
children to see the value of literacy), the stages of writing that
a child will go through as he or she learns to write, how to identify
the stages, and what aspect of the writing process the child is exploring
in each stage, as well as tutoring skills that will be applicable
in the classroom.
Part of the Family Literacy Directive states that Head Start programs
need to provide "training for parents regarding how to be the primary
teacher for their children and full partners in the education of their
children." Each parent and community member who participates as a
literacy volunteer, whether in the classroom or in a support role,
receives training on Emergent Literacy, tutoring skills, and strategies
for the positive reinforcement and validation of a child's learning.
This training is an excellent beginning for parents in terms of increasing
their understanding of how their children develop and positive ways
to reinforce that development. One volunteer with the program said
that she had "tried some of the things from the training, and they
made so much sense. It was easier to understand my kids and to help
them."
We have been able to place literacy volunteers in seven of the 10
classes, and of 119 students in those classes, 96 students have chosen
to participate in the journal writing project on a regular basis,
two or more times a month. Of the students who are participating,
approximately 35 percent have progressed through one or more stages
of writing, using the Emergent Literacy curriculum as a guide. Some
students, like Emely, have made considerable progress, advancing through
two or more stages, and are comprehending new concepts almost daily.
The progress has not been limited to the students. Reactions from
staff and parents indicate that this program has been able to begin
to fulfill its goal of promoting longterm family literacy. Some comments
from interviews of the parent literacy volunteers include:
"Coming into the classroom brightens my week . . . I get a little
treasure each time I come."
"Working with the other children and the training has helped me
feel more confident that I can provide a good learning environment
for my own son."
"This experience has shown me that I have something valuable to
share with my daughter -- that I can really be her teacher."
"I look forward to coming every week, because the kids trust me
with their stories, and I know I can really help them learn to read
and write."
The staff response to this program also shows a considerable impact.
Some feedback has come in the form of a staff survey.
"I feel that the journal writing has helped put more emphasis on
literacy in the program. It seems to be a really positive thing
for the kids."
"The volunteers are great in the classroom because they can get
the kids interested in reading and writing. The one-on-one time
is really important for that."
"The journal writing has helped to change some of the ideas about
literacy in the program. It used to be seen as a separate thing,
but now I think it is being seen as something that is more integrated
into the program."
The journal writing project has helped to create a precedent for
literacy-centered activities in the classroom. I have seen changes
in the two years that I have been at this site, and I feel that if
the journals are continued, the positive model that they display will
be further adapted by staff and volunteers. Some of the staff are
more aware now of the need for a volunteer to be in the literacy center
in order for it to be used, and writing activities are popping up
in a variety of places. Children sign their name on a list for the
computer in one class, and in another they are encouraged to make
use of laminated nameplates to copy their names and the names of their
classmates. One of the volunteers is creating a classroom dictionary.
This exercise involves having the children write each word that they
want to see spelled out on a sheet of paper. The child then illustrates
this, and it is laminated and added to the dictionary. When another
child wants to see how that word is spelled, he or she can go to the
dictionary and look it up by the illustration. The volunteer says
that "the kids have loved this. Every day they ask me 'where is my
page' and they are including more of the words in their stories. They
also think of other words that start with the same letter for us to
add to the page. I think that's helping them understand the concept
of how letters form words."
Conclusion
Another week has come and gone, and it is again the time that I most
look forward to; I get to spend one precious hour in the classroom
learning about these children through their stories. I am early, in
the classroom before they are. As I lay out our journals and listen
for voices in the hall, I think of the exceptional opportunity that
I have been given -- the chance to know each child through his or her
imagination, and to watch his or her progress as the world of written
communication slowly opens. I am caught in that thought as the sound
swamps me. Laughter, chattering, cold, and directions blend and swell
to fill the room with energy. I am waiting when they come in. Tylar
barely hesitates before he joins me and asks quietly for his "name
book." Emely dances over before her coat is even off: "Are you here
to do journals today, Miss Amy? I have something special to tell you."
I can honestly tell Emely that everything she has to tell me is special.
The experience that children and families have at Head Start is often
the first encounter that they have with the public school system.
This gives our program some very special responsibilities-that of
acclimating the entire family to public school, and preparing parents
for the role that they will play in their children's education. The
journaling project strives to meet both of these objectives in terms
of literacy. Our immediate goal for the journal writing project is
to spend quality one-on-one time with each child encouraging and assisting
in his or her literacy development. The longterm goal of this project,
however, cannot ultimately be found in the immediate skills that the
children develop, but in their attitudes, and the attitudes and practices
of their families, the teaching staff, and the volunteers who work
with them. Children in this age group are just beginning to understand
the implications of written language, and while we spend time each
week working with them on specific skills, it is the way in which
we interact with the children that has longterm implications.
The children and I are off on another hour of imaginings, stories,
pictures, and praise. The important thing for me in all of this is
not that Emely is showing signs of progressing to Stage 5, or that
Tyler has recognized that the E in his name is similar to an M turned
on its side. What will stay with me, is that at this moment, I am
able to give these children the attention and respect their writing
deserves, and in validating their efforts, I am creating a positive
model for other staff and volunteers. At four years old, Emely is
getting her first glimpse of the power that the written word holds,
and I get the privilege of helping her push the door open.
Amy Christensen, a native of Pocatello, Idaho, is serving her
second year as an AmeriCorps member with Pocatello Head Start. She
joined this program after receiving a bachelor's degree in English
and Art from Idaho State University in 1997. Amy became involved
with literacy issues because it's the most fundamental skill that
we can have. If children are able to read and communicate, they
can open any door they want to.
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