The cold weather did not deter young readers from Family Literacy Night at the James Jordan Boys and Girls Club on Thursday, January 19th. Students in preschool through third grade, along with their parents, began the evening in small groups, reading The Little Red Hen (Makes a Pizza) with Corps member volunteers from our partner Jumpstart. Jumpstart is a national early education organization that helps children develop the language and literacy skills they need to be successful in school.
After reading, parents, children, and volunteers gathered together on the circle time rug to sing songs before splitting into groups. Children joined Jumpstart Corps members in educational activities designed to develop language and literacy skills. Children wrote grocery lists, played a vocabulary bingo game, and even made their own pizzas out of construction paper and glue.
Parents joined Jumpstart staff to discuss ways to engage children in reading and to develop vocabulary. Parents shared tips and demonstrated reading techniques as a group. Parents also discussed how to engage their children in learning activities at home, and were given a bag with materials and tips to try at home.
Just down the hall, students in forth through eighth grade spent the evening with Elizabeth Albert, the A-Team Program Coordinator. Here, Elizabeth and the students discussed finding a “just right” book. The group worked together to determine how to pick out a good book. Though a lot can be determined by a book’s cover, the students learned that it’s important to read the summary on the back and even open to and read a random page. Students were then able to select their “just right” book for silent reading. After 20 minutes of reading, the students used their new knowledge of the book and its characters to recreate the book’s cover.
The next Family Literacy Night will be Thursday, February 16th at 5:45pm at the James Jordan Boys & Girls Club.