Thank you, John Benseman, for reminding all of us that things happen in all programs that were not planned nor anticipated, and sometimes, those can be the best things that happen!  John addresses two important concepts.  

The lack of communication between and among teachers, supervisors, and others within the same system is somewhat discouraging.  I have been dismayed to learn that the administrative staff of a school sometimes view a publicly-funded family literacy program as just "another state or federal program" that will eventually go away like all the others before them.  Then, they themselves see an unintended outcome when the program continues to grow, enrolling more families and assisting more family members reach their goals.  However, getting some of those same administrators to just visit the program can be difficult.  In other systems, it's just the opposite (thank goodness).

Unintended outcomes, as John illustrates, can include better communications among elements of a system and that, in turn, can lead to better mutual support when and if such support is needed.  I've attended "open house" functions of family literacy programs and have heard folks remark, "I had no idea all of these things were happening here".  Some of those same folks can become community supporters when given the opportunity and we need al of those we can get. 

I was evaluating a local family literacy (in Kentucky when I was an intern at NCFL) where the program was housed in the same building as the "alternative school" where high school students with behavioral problems had been "sentenced" as they called it.  The early childhood teacher asked the alternative school teacher if some of the high school students would consider reading to the children.  All were from the same small community and knew each other to some extent.  Some of those high school students "bonded" with the children and really enjoyed reading to them.  (They indicated that the children were the first people who had ever payed much attention to them.)  This gave the early childhood teacher some time to get other things done while also supervising the reading activities.  At the end of the semester, one of those high school boys brought a box of books to the family literacy program and said he wanted the children to have his collection of children's books (some of which were expensive).  His parents had bought them for him when he was small, but never took any time to read them to him and he knew the children in the family literacy program would have better luck because the early childhood teacher was concerned enough to find people to read to them. What a surprise!  I'll bet those books were read until their covers were worn out and think of how many children who probably didn't have books at home, enjoyed all of those stories.  It was a great outcome that was never anticipated.  Thanks again, John, for bringing that to our attention.

I'm certain there are more good ideas out there.  Let's hear them.  I must leave this exercise for today - my 13-year-old granddaughter is playing tennis and I am going to watch her (and try to maintain some kind of order with her 9-yr.-old and 6-yr.-old brothers.  Wish me luck.  I'll return tomorrow for the day.  Put some ideas out there today and I'll respond to them early tomorrow.


Don Seaman
acs8716 at suddenlink.net
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