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 g3UJ1Ju22377; Tue, 30 Apr 2002 15:01:19 -0400 (EDT) Date: Tue, 30 Apr 2002 15:01:19 -0400 (EDT) Message-Id: <5.1.0.14.0.20020430115718.00a061c0@mail.aracnet.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: Sylvan Rainwater <sylvan@cccchs.org> To: Multiple recipients of list <nifl-family@literacy.nifl.gov> Subject: [NIFL-FAMILY:1044] Home visits X-Listprocessor-Version: 6.0c -- ListProcessor by Anastasios Kotsikonas Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii"; format=flowed X-Mailer: QUALCOMM Windows Eudora Version 5.1 Status: O Content-Length: 2722 Lines: 50 At 04:31 PM 04/26/2002 -0400, Tracie Janis wrote: >Thanks Andrea, the district where my daughters attend offered home visits >from teachers. I didn't take advantage of the offer at the time because my >schedule at work is crazy! It appears from your experience that the home >visits were a great success. ><SNIP> Home visits are an integral part of our program. It's my understanding that at least at some point Even Start had a requirement of 4 home visits per year? We do 2 per month, so are clearly over any minimums. We emphasize home visits because we are part of a Head Start program that emphasizes home visits, and we have found them to be a very effective way to enhance family learning and involvement. We can give individual help to families on home visits, whether that involves social services or educational goals. It gives an opportunity, as noted by others, to have the family on their own turf, where they are sometimes more relaxed than in a classroom. It also gives you a lot more information about the students (both children and adults) by seeing the environment where they live, and can provide opportunities to make suggestions that are appropriate for that particular household. It is true that some people really don't want home visits. We've made few inroads into the Russian-speaking community, and I understand that one of the reasons is that they have such deep distrust of anything remotely governmental coming into their homes that they just can't deal with our program. We try to make accommodations by going to libraries or other public places, and even having visits in our centers if they prefer, because usually once they get to know us and have a relationship with us, they are more at ease about inviting us into their homes. We stress up front when we do recruitment that home visits are as much a part of the program as attending the class. And we find that when we share information as a team, children's teachers, home visitors, and parent teachers, that we can get a more accurate picture of each family and its needs, and can support each other's work with ideas and insights that we wouldn't get otherwise. It does seem that I've heard more recently about home visits happening in public school settings, and that teachers are finding them beneficial. Most children are jazzed when the teacher comes to the home, and feel more important and proud as a result. They form a relationship with the teacher that enhances the classroom experience a lot. ------------------------------ Sylvan Rainwater . sylvan@cccchs.org Adult Education Teacher and Family Literacy Program Manager Clackamas County Children's Commission . Oregon City, OR USA
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