Return-Path: <nifl-family@literacy.nifl.gov> Received: from literacy (localhost [127.0.0.1]) by literacy.nifl.gov (8.10.2/8.10.2) with SMTP id fBE0eC020326; Thu, 13 Dec 2001 19:40:12 -0500 (EST) Date: Thu, 13 Dec 2001 19:40:12 -0500 (EST) Message-Id: <81.14b7459e.294aa3ef@aol.com> Errors-To: listowner@literacy.nifl.gov Reply-To: nifl-family@literacy.nifl.gov Originator: nifl-family@literacy.nifl.gov Sender: nifl-family@literacy.nifl.gov Precedence: bulk From: BRmidwest@aol.com To: Multiple recipients of list <nifl-family@literacy.nifl.gov> Subject: [NIFL-FAMILY:518] RE: What is curriculum? X-Listprocessor-Version: 6.0c -- ListProcessor by Anastasios Kotsikonas X-Mailer: AOL 5.0 for Windows sub 138 Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit Content-Type: text/plain; charset="US-ASCII" Status: O Content-Length: 3986 Lines: 68 To Jon and to the Listserv [I think this is of general interest and thus worth posting]: I work for a small family literacy program in a community-based social service agency. In a small family literacy program, we have the luxury of flexibly tailoring curricula to our particular group. I recognize that the administrators of huge, multi-site family literacy programs that serve hundreds of families face strikingly different demands from those of our small program. However, I STILL believe.... 1) There is no such thing as "a" family literacy curriculum. Family literacy encompasses different components (usually adult ed, child ed, parent ed/support, parent-child activities). No SINGLE curriculum covers all 4 components. 2) The curriculum for each of the 4 components needs to meet the needs of the enrolled participants. For example, adults who are studying ESL in a large northern urban setting will need to study something rather different from adults who are studying ABE in a rural southern environment. Infants and toddlers will have a learning curriculum that is entirely different from a curriculum for second-graders. Teen mothers will need to study different topics in parent education than will more mature and experienced mothers who have kids in elementary school; teen parents also have different types of "support" needs than older, more mature parents. (For example, teen parents may wish to figure out how to balance meeting their child's needs with meeting their own needs for an active social life. They may need to focus on developing *realistic* expectations for the behavior of toddlers. Older parents may be more interested in learning strategies for helping their children with homework or ways to effectively communicate with "the powers that be" at their children's schools.) Thus parent education topics will differ dramatically. 3) The curricula need to fit the structure and schedule of the family literacy program. For example, a program that offers adult ed for 3 hours per week, parent education once a month in a home-visit setting, and only one major parent-child activity event per month will not do the same things as a program that offers 16 hours per week of adult ed, daily parent-child activities, and weekly parent education/support classes. To develop the curricula (plural!) appropriate for a particular family literacy program, it is helpful to: --know your participants. What do they already know? What do they want to know? What do they need to know? How do they learn best? --know your constraints. How many hours per week or month does your program meet and what can be covered during that time? In what settings will you be meeting with participants? How much money do you have for materials and equipment? How experienced are your instructors? (For example, experienced parent ed facilitators may need LESS guidance and want MORE freedom to design their own curricula than brand-new, inexperienced staff.) --consult with similar programs. If you are responsible for coming up with a curriculum, find out about other programs that are similar to yours in terms of setting, schedule, and demographics. Try to meet with representatives from that program to learn what they are doing. (Of course, try to offer something to their program in return and be exceedingly grateful if someone takes the time to talk with you and share their curriculum!) --take advantage of the professional development offerings of state and local agencies, organizations, and service centers that provide information about family literacy. (For example, in Illinois, the Illinois Secretary of State Literacy Office, the Illinois Literacy Resource Development Center, and the Adult Learning Resource Center all provide many opportunities for professional development through conferences and workshops.) Betsy Rubin Blue Gargoyle Family Learning Project Chicago, IL BRmidwest@aol.com
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