Some programs I have worked with institute a 
"buddy system" as soon as a parent 
enrolls.  Buddy's can do many things  - from a 
weekly phone call, to a call when a buddy is 
absent, to working together on projects or 
helping with instruction, acknowledging a 
birthday, or helping with a ride or child care, 
etc. etc. Again and again, it seems to be the 
personal connections that keep students 
attending.  Jessica Fitzpatrick, Family and Early Literacy Consultant
At 09:14 AM 1/8/2008, you wrote:


>Hello everyone,

>

>These are some great ideas.  This is what we do 

>in our family literacy program:

>

>The facilitators personally phone the learners 

>who miss a class and ask what they can do to 

>help or find out if there is anything they can 

>do to help the parents (it may be as simple as 

>giving them a reminder phone call before every 

>class – we meet twice weekly with the 

>families).  The facilitators encourage the 

>parents in their own learning and in their 

>reading and playing with their children.  The 

>facilitators ensure that these parents feel 

>comfortable when they are in our program (I know 

>everyone does this) and we make sure that the 

>parents know we are adding on to what they are 

>already doing with their children 

>(strength-based programming).  We have found 

>that the personal phone call from the 

>facilitator makes the difference.  Attendance 

>has been much more consistent since we began 

>implementing phone calls.  The phone calling 

>does take extra time but we have found that it is worth it.

>

>Lorri Sauve

>Project READ Literacy Network

>Family Literacy Coordinator

>Kitchener, Canada

><mailto:familyliteracy at projectread.ca>familyliteracy at projectread.ca

>519 893-7597

>

>"I am careful not to confuse excellence with 

>perfection.  Excellence I can reach for; perfection is God's business."

>Michael J. Fox

>

>----------

>From: familyliteracy-bounces at nifl.gov 

>[mailto:familyliteracy-bounces at nifl.gov] On Behalf Of Cheryl Brown

>Sent: Monday, January 07, 2008 10:33 PM

>To: The Family Literacy Discussion List

>Subject: [FamilyLiteracy 903] Re: Peppermints Help Test-Takers

>

>Hi all,

>

>Barriers is an extremely interesting topic for 

>me and I have spent some time thinking and 

>writing about it over the last 

>decade.   Essentially, we focus on Relationship, 

>Content and Environment. We use William 

>Glasser's Choice Theory to guide our behaviour 

>in relationship building and setting 

>environment, and a learner/community centered 

>model for content (basically, we adapt what we 

>do to individual learner's or community's wants 

>and stated needs - some may remember as Student 

>Centered Individualized Learning from Frontier College Student Handbook).

>

>I've personally shifted my thinking about 

>barriers from what I've been calling a 

>'checklist approach' (generic list of barriers, 

>like transportation, childcare, healthy snack, 

>etc) to thinking about it as a process, as 

>individual as the learner's themselves, that 

>provides specific assistance for overcoming 

>obstacles to participation.  Funny this topic 

>should happen to come up today - we've just 

>talked about writing a paper about this, so if 

>you're interested in hearing more, let me know off list.

>

>Cheryl Brown, Community Literacy Coordinator

>Quality Learning New Brunswick

>Saint John, NB

>Canada

><mailto:sjfamlit at nbnet.nb.ca>sjfamlit at nbnet.nb.ca

>

>----- Original Message -----

>From: <mailto:gprice at famlit.org>Gail Price

>To: <mailto:familyliteracy at nifl.gov>The Family Literacy Discussion List

>Sent: Monday, January 07, 2008 4:10 PM

>Subject: [FamilyLiteracy 901] Re: Peppermints Help Test-Takers

>

>Hey Jeri,

>

>Don’t we all wish that keeping learners in our 

>programs were as easy as providing peppermints and bottled water?

>

>Persistence is a complex issue and is pretty 

>highly individualized, yet is something all 

>adult education programs have to deal with. 

>Studies over the years about persistence have 

>suggested ways to keep students in 

>programs­i.e., having a goal and making progress 

>toward it; enjoying the classroom relationship 

>with other learners; having an intake process 

>that effectively counters barriers to 

>attendance; and helping with logistical barriers 

>such as transportation and child care, etc.

>

>How about it list subscribers­share your 

>practical experience with us.  What do you do to 

>ensure that you keep learners in your program? 

>What have you tried that has worked well? What has not worked quite so well?

>

>Gail J. Price

>Multimedia Specialist

>National Center for Family Literacy

>325 W. Main Street, Suite 300

>Louisville, KY 40202

>gprice at famlit.org

>502 584-1133, ext. 112

>

>

>Join us for the 17th Annual National Conference on Family Literacy!

>"Literacy Grows Families and Communities"

>March 30, 31, & April 1, 2008-Louisville, KY

>Register online at <http://www.famlit.org/conference>www.famlit.org/conference

>

>

>----------

>From: familyliteracy-bounces at nifl.gov 

>[mailto:familyliteracy-bounces at nifl.gov] On Behalf Of jalsails at aol.com

>Sent: Wednesday, January 02, 2008 11:15 PM

>To: familyliteracy at nifl.gov

>Subject: [FamilyLiteracy 893] Re: Peppermints Help Test-Takers

>

>Gail,

>

>Back when Brain Research was hot (about 10 years 

>ago) we read research on the negative effects of 

>dehydration on concentration and fatigue. We 

>(LIFT, Missouri's Literacy Center) began 

>providing bottled water at all of our workshops 

>which in turn motivated family and adult 

>literacy staff to provide it for their adult 

>learners. Drinking water was encouraged to 

>maximize extended attention spans for study and 

>test taking. Perhaps it was the halo effect, but 

>we had enthusiastic feedback. Now, if we'd used 

>ordinary tap water to preserve the environment, 

>added a peppermint candy to cut the frustration, 

>and given ginger snaps for pregnant moms to 

>reduce nausea, we may have made the news!

>

>What other practical strategies appear to spark 

>and maintain learner persistence?

>

>Jeri Levesque, Ed.D.

>Evaluator, Missouri and Kentucky Even Start

>LIFT

>

>

>-----Original Message-----

>From: Gail Price <gprice at famlit.org>

>To: The Family Literacy Discussion List <familyliteracy at nifl.gov>

>Sent: Wed, 2 Jan 2008 12:23 pm

>Subject: [FamilyLiteracy 891] Peppermints Help Test-Takers

>Just for fun!

>An article titled “Peppermint prepares 

>test-takers, a study says” recently appeared in 

>the Middletown Journal, Middletown, OH.

>The articles states, “Candy canes greeted 

>test-takers at Middletown's Adult Education 

>center Friday before the General Educational 

>Development exam. The purpose of the treats was 

>two-fold: spread a little holiday cheer and 

>awaken the test-takers, said Principal Rose 

>Marie Stiehl. A NASA-funded study revealed that 

>the smell of peppermint decreases fatigue and 

>frustration by 15 percent and 25 percent 

>respectively and increases alertness by 30 

>percent, said Stiehl. Ever since the study, the 

>center has offered peppermints to test-takers.”

>

>And Middletown’s Adult Education programs seems 

>to be doing very well. You can read the article 

>at 

><http://www.middletownjournal.com/hp/content/oh/story/news/local/2007/12/29/mj122907gedcanes.html>http://www.middletownjournal.com/hp/content/oh/story/news/local/2007/12/29/mj122907gedcanes.html

>I think I’ll buy a stash of peppermints for my students. How about you?

>

>

>Gail J. Price

>Multimedia Specialist

>National Center for Family Literacy

>325 W. Main Street, Suite 300

>Louisville, KY 40202

><mailto:gprice at famlit.org>gprice at famlit.org

>502 584-1133, ext. 112

>

>

>Join us for the 17th Annual National Conference on Family Literacy!

>"Literacy Grows Families and Communities"

>March 30, 31, & April 1, 2008-Louisville, KY

>Register online at <http://www.famlit.org/conference>www.famlit.org/conference

>

>

>----------------------------------------------------

>

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>

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