Hi Jessica,

 

How do you determine who becomes whose buddy?  I'm intrigued and would like
to know more?

Lorri Sauve

Project READ Literacy Network
Family Literacy Coordinator
Kitchener, Canada
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 Jessica Fitzpatrick
Sent: Tuesday, January 08, 2008 5:06 PM
To: The Family Literacy Discussion List
Subject: [FamilyLiteracy 915] Re: Other Ways to keep learners in programs

 

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
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>
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
sjfamlit at nbnet.nb.ca
 

----- Original Message ----- 

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

To: The <mailto:familyliteracy at nifl.gov>  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
programs-i.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 subscribers-share 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 www.famlit.org/conference 

 

  _____  

From: familyliteracy-bounces at nifl.gov [
<mailto: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/m
j122907gedcanes.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

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 www.famlit.org/conference 

 

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