Cindy,
      I know you're leaving us or have left us (I'm just getting caught up), but thank you for your response.  I like the suggestion about measuring the adults skill.  This would help them to see what they have learned. My most recent endeavor is to have mini parenting workshops, where we share some research and then a related activity.  What I need to work on is the follow up:   giving parents a chance to create their own activity and report back.  

"Colletti, Cyndy" <CColletti at ILSOS.NET> wrote:
      Hi Sherry,
   
  In our programs in Illinois, we define family literacy as an educational program for adult learners and their children. Without children, its adult literacy, not family literacy. Perhaps among the readers there are some who can respond from experience.
   
  However, anyone willing to ask a question should get an answer.  In family literacy we intend to support the adult in their role as their child's teacher.  Perhaps you could use that angle to engage adults who aren't parents. One of the most effective ways to learn is to teach.  Present the PACT materials and the activity in such a way that the learner works with a child (doesn't have to be their own, could be a nephew, neighbor or friend).  And then make sure you measure the adults increased skill and confidence in the materials so that you can help them articulate their success using this component to further their educational goals.
   
  Your other question was "how do we simplify materials for beginning ESOL learners?"  Let's toss that back out to the group.  How do you design PACT activities for low level non English speakers?  How do we make the activities culturally appropriate, sometimes cross-culturally appropriate?  How do we make sure they understand the underlying educational value of PACT?  How do we measure their progress?
   
  Cyndy
   
    -----Original Message-----
From: familyliteracy-bounces at nifl.gov [mailto:familyliteracy-bounces at nifl.gov]On Behalf Of Sheryl Fiaux
Sent: Monday, September 11, 2006 12:33 PM
To: The Family Literacy Discussion List
Subject: [FamilyLiteracy 360] Re: Implementing Parent Child Activities


  Hi Cindy and all:
        I have been working in family literacy for about 8 years and what I have always struggled with is engaging adults who do not have children in the program.  To clarify that:  although we are family literacy, we do not serve only families.  We probably have about 30% families and the rest are adults.  Having attended a Family Lit  Conference
a few years ago, it seems to me that there are not many other programs of this nature or are there?  
        In the past 4 years, I have been working in morning programs with about 15 adults and only about 4 of them have children in the program.  The children are 3-5 years old and we have a separate teacher for them.  We begin each class with PACT, which usually included parents reading with their child and/or doing a craft or literacy activity.  This year, I am going to try using the Early Learning Standards for the state of Rhode Island and include all adults by sharing a little theory and then an activity.  The difficult part right now is simplifying the theory part for beginnner ESOL learners.  For example:  I want to start with a blurb about how children learn from play.  Then ask the adults to observe children playing in a play kitchen that we have and ask them what a child might be learning.   I thought by sharing some research / theory, I could tie it into how this information transfers to a classroom activity.  
        So, my challenges are:  engaging adults without children and simplifying materials for beginner ESOL.  Does anyone else work in a family literacy program where not all adults have children in the program? 
   
  Sherry Fiaux
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