Guest Blog: International Human Rights Day

Lauren Dziechciarz
Former AmeriCorps Vista, Adult Literacy League

On this day, December 10^th, 1948, at the Palais de Chaillot in Paris, the Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR) was adopted by the United Nations. Eleanor Roosevelt was the chair of the committee that drafted and approved the declaration.  After being added to for the last time in 1976, this document was given the force of International Law--one of the most highly disputed, highly contested, and ambiguous types of law that is currently studied. The UDHR came to be after the atrocities of WWII, and grants a specific set of rights to which all human beings are entitled to by virtue of  being human. Hence, the term “Human Rights.” 

Every state (as in country) has signed it, however, there is no absolute way of punishing those who withhold human rights to individuals in their state. Due to this, scholars debate on whether the UDHR has any power.

To which it can be said, that when the Declaration of Independence was written, it was a document of shared beliefs, written to profess, with conviction, that the people of the Americas would no longer tolerate the rule of a monarchy, or taxation without representation. It has become one of the most important documents in American history, not only for what it symbolizes, but what the belief in it helped accomplish.

The Universal Declaration of Human Rights may be considered a lawless document with no powerful way of exacting justice on those leaders that violate it, but it is not worthless to those who believe in the power that it could have one day. 

That day will be when a human being in any country is allowed, by his or her leaders, the freedom of speech, the freedom to practice their own religion (without harming others), the freedom to elect their own leader, and the freedom to learn. According to the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO), some 775 million adults around the world lack minimum literacy skills; one in five adults is still not literate and two-thirds of them are women. Approximately 60.7 million children are out of school and many more attend irregularly or drop out.

At the very core of human rights is opportunity. The work that the Adult Literacy League does  by providing programs and services to individuals with the lowest literacy skills is vital to our community because all people deserve the opportunity to provide for themselves and their families. They also deserve the opportunity to be productive citizens of the world. Education is the key to this and being able to read and communicate opens the doors to greater opportunities for all who learn. 

Fun ways to raise funds for literacy

Recently, a group of Orlando women got together for their annual Girls Night In slumber party wittingly called "Girlfest." The group met over a girlfriend's house overlooking a beautiful lake and spend the weekend together watching movies while sipping on delicious cocktails and nibbling on savory hor' devours. This year, organizers asked attendees to bring a monetary gift to support the students and families at the Adult Literacy League. They created a cute box (pictured above) and tied it with a black bow to resemble the ALL colors. The women raised $200.00 for the ALL's literacy programs and services. On its own, this $200 gift will provide all the curriculum and workbooks for 2 adult learners paired with a volunteer tutor for an entire year! 

With the hustle and bustle of the holiday season, you may not have time to think of ways to help our students and families improve their literacy skills. A simple idea would be to ask your guests at your next holiday party to consider making a gift to the Adult Literacy League by sponsoring an adult learner or preschool child in our  Read to Me! Book Club. 

For example, $500 supports the cost for one NEW student and tutor pair for a full year. For $500 (or $42 a month), you can provide a preschool child from a low-income home with 36 weeks of literacy kits that include age-appropriate children's books, learning materials and supplies such as glue, scissors and crayons, for the parent and child to use together at home (http://www.adultliteracyleague.org/donate/sponsor.html).

You may also consider your friends and guests to purchase an item on our Wish List (http://www.adultliteracyleague.org/donate/wishlist.html). We currently need dry erase markers, flip chart markers, flip chart pads and copy paper to help our instructors teach the 1,000 adult learners who attend our classes each week throughout Orange, Osceola and Seminole counties.

Some other fun activities include:

Garage Sale: Ask all of your friends and neighbors to participate by donating items for sale. Make signs that indicate all proceeds are going to the Adult Literacy League. Ask your local paper to run an ad as their contribution. Add a bake sale and/or lemonade stand, and have a straight donation jar visibly displayed. 

Super Change Jar: Ask all of your friends and family to put aside their spare change to be added to the super change jar. Every month or so, empty it out and let everyone know how much "a little at a time" adds up! This is a great idea to put into action at work, too. Decorate the jar with inspirational quotes on literacy. 

Theme Dinner: Hold a theme dinner party for at least 10 of your friends; $50 donation per a person.Spend just $20 per person on food and you've raised $300 in donations. Better yet, have all of the food donated!

Game Night: Host a game night; Monopoly, Trivial Pursuit, Scrabble, Poker, Bridge, Bingo. Serve donated food and drinks. Ask for a suggested donation at the door.

Dress Down Friday: Ask your boss if you can host a "Dress Down Friday." Employees buy a

button and get to dress down on an assigned day.

Lawyers for Literacy Spelling Bee S-U-C-C-E-S-S!

3rd annual Lawyers for Literacy Spelling Bee raises funds, awareness for literacy in Central Florida

Local attorneys cheered on as 11 teams competed to become the 2012 Spelling Bee Champion of the Year. The spirited competition ended in a draw with Lowndes, Drosdick, Doster, Kantor & Reed and GrayRobinson as spelling bee champs. But the true victors of the event are the students and families enrolled in literacy programs at the Adult Literacy League. 

Special thanks to the Young Lawyers Section of the Orange County Bar Association for planning the 3rd Annual Lawyers for Literacy Spelling Bee on October 18th at the Sheraton Orlando Downtown Hotel. This event raised just over $21,000 for our literacy services and a total of $57,000 since it began in 2010. The Planning Committee was led by dynamic trio Daryl Gottlieb, Melinda Wimbish and Davis Lewis and included Jennifer White, Kayla Mudge, Steven Kahana, Kelley Lester, Amanda Diane Perry and Matt Ferry.

Mayanne Downs, past president of The Florida Bar, kept the 200 attendees chuckling as the evening’s emcee adding humor and cheer to the competition. Guest judges Jim Payne, news anchor of WESH TV and Thaddeus Seymour, president emeritus of Rollins College, kept spellers on track while radio personality Erica Lee assumed a new role as beekeeper, ensuring a fun, yet fair competition for the evening. ALL Board Vice President Brendan Lynch welcomed guests while student Solangel Mederos spoke on how the ALL helped her earn her GED. Planning Chair Daryl Gottlieb encouraged attendees to help the ALL “do justice” by donating their time and resources to improving literacy.

ALL would also like to thank our sponsors including the inaugural Golden Bee sponsor Killgore Pearlman Stamp Ornstein & Squires. Special thanks to our incredible Host Committee, chaired by Alana Brenner from the City of Orlando. She was joined by Joe Amos, Grey Squires-Binford, Ryan Davis, Amy Iennaco, Jim Lussier, Woody Rodriguez and Thomas Yaegers.

For a list of this year’s sponsors, visit www.adultliteracyleague.org/spellingbee/sponsors.html 

To view photos of the event, visit https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.10151099686209007.430532.182695979006&type=1&l=8cdc1d5579

Giving Thanks

 Happy Thanksgiving Week!

Thanksgiving is the perfect opportunity to incorporate a bit of US history in to an ESOL classroom! As the only holiday specific to the United States, sharing a meal on the fourth Thursday in November is an American custom that many immigrants to our country are excited to take part in. The rich history surrounding the holiday and its family-oriented traditions are often very unfamiliar to recent migrants to the US. Because of this, Thanksgiving lesson plans are a definite must-use for English teachers!

There are a number of Thanksgiving-related classroom ideas all over the internet, but a specific ESOL lesson plan from eslholidaylessons.com has proven successful for a number of our teachers.

The lesson includes a passage for reading, a section on vocabulary and spelling, some fill-in-the-blanks for listening, a portion on comprehension, and ends with an interview to be used to facilitate speaking.

The entire lesson takes anywhere from 1 1/2 hours to 2 hours, and can be done in groups or as an entire class. Best of all, when the lesson is complete students will have a greater understanding of why and how Americans celebrate Thanksgiving every year!

The entire lesson plan can be found here: http://www.eslholidaylessons.com/11/thanksgiving.html

We hope that everyone has a wonderful Thanksgiving and knows just how thankful we are for our students, volunteers and staff! Gobble Gobble!

What We’re Reading at the ALL: The Colors of Us by Karen Katz

In one of our July posts, the Adult Literacy League recommended a book called The Colors of Us by Karen Katz, and some of us loved it so much, we wanted to describe it a little more.

The children’s book is about a girl named Lena, whose mother, an artist, describes the colors of her family, friends, and neighbors’ skin with the happiest and most heartwarming adjectives. Her friend Isabella “is chocolate brown, like the cupcakes we had for her birthday.” Her friend Jo-Jin “is the color of honey,” and Aunt Kathy is “tan like coconuts and coffee toffee.”

Throughout the book they discuss mixing colors to get the right skin tones. Little Lena is depicted sprawled on the floor with large pieces of paper and jars of paint, happily discussing the beautiful colors of those closest to her. Her finished works are hung up proudly on the last page, displaying a gallery and celebration of multiculturalism.

The book raises the issue of diversity in a fundamental, positive way, and it helps children (and parents) know what understanding diversity is truly about. It is about instilling positive feelings towards people who have different, or perhaps the same skin color as ourselves, and who we interact with every day. It is about individuality. It is about artistic expression. It is, quite simply, an extraordinary book. With a purpose, and a principle, “The Colors of Us,” people who look different, and are different, and why we love them for it.

Spooky-themed literacy games...

In keeping with this creepy time of year, here's a literacy game you can play with your

friends, family, and children, that only require the alphabet and your imagination. 

Start with a Halloween-themed word, like: Ghost.

The next person continues the game by suggesting a Halloween-themed word that starts with the letter “T” because “Ghost” ends in “T”. They might say: Transylvania.

Transylvania ends with an “A” so that would be the letter for the following person, such as: Afraid.The game can last a long time, can include any number of players, and increases a child’s literacy skills as you spend time as a family! 

FALL Into a Good Book!

--> Many of us don’t need an excuse to visit a Starbucks, find a comphy chair, and sip on something delicious. This fall, why not take some “me” time, and surround yourself by your neighbors by visiting a coffee house with your favorite book and sample some of those fall treats we only see once a year.

…. You know the one I’m talking about, already, don’t you?

That’s right.

Pumpkin muffins.

The wait is over.

… and what would go better with a tasty morsel like that then a sufficiently Halloween themed book like Mary Shelley’s “Frankenstein,” or “The Legend of Sleepy Hollow,” by Washington Irving?

It may not get too chilly here in Central Florida, but some books are guaranteed to send a suspenseful shiver down your spine.

From Fav. Book to Facebook!

--> We all have our favorite types of books. It is only until we get a recommendation from a friend or co-worker, searching online, or something else that has to truly inspire us to read something out of our “comfort zone.” This author, for instance, never would have picked up Pride and Prejudice if it hadn’t been for the zany Bridget Jones Diaries books. Thanks to them, I have expanded my collection to all of Jane Austen’s works, considering myself an absolute “Jane-ite.”

That’s why we here at the Adult Literacy League would love to know what you’re reading. Inspire someone else to try something new. Or just give us ideas for what book we should pick up next.

Post your “Fave Book” to the Adult Literacy League Facebook page, and let us know what we, and other’s should read, and why. Perhaps someone else will appreciate your dedication to romance novels set in regency England.

Nadya's in Moscow!

Our favorite literacy student turned Program Assistant, Nadya Mishutina made a stop-over in Moscow on her way to visit friends and family in Kazakhstan.  It’s been just about 3 years since she and her parents left Central Asia to seek a better life in the United States. Upon arrival, Nadya enrolled in English classes at the Adult Literacy League and, with the help of instructors and tutors, she now speaks English fluently. She recently earned her Associates of Arts degree at Valencia State College and is taking a much-needed break before heading to the University of Central Florida to pursue her Bachelor’s degree in Exercise and Sports Sciences.

                                               Nadya at St. Basil’s Cathedral in Moscow!

International Literacy Day 2012

Tomorrow, September 8th is International Literacy Day!

September 8 was proclaimed International Literacy Day by UNESCO (United Nations Educational, Scientific, and Educational Organization) on November 17, 1965.  Its purpose is to highlight the importance of literacy to individuals, communities and societies.

This very important day is celebrated in different ways all around the world. There are a number of easy ways to observe International Literacy Day, but one of the best things you can do is to KNOW YOUR LITERACY FACTS:

-Nearly 17% of the world's population is still not literate; two thirds of them are women, making gender equality even harder to achieve.

-An estimated 122 million youth globally are illiterate.
 
-In the United States more than 20% of adults read at or below a fifth grade level- far below the level needed to earn a living wage. The National Adult Literacy Survey found that over 40 million Americans age 16 and older have significant literacy needs.

-43% of people with the lowest literacy skills live in poverty. 

-17% of people with the lowest literacy skills receive food stamps 

-70% of people with the lowest literacy skills have no full or part time job. 

Statistics like these are what make observing International Literacy Day so important! Your celebration doesn't have to be anything too over-the-top, there are tons of small ways to recognize and make a difference! Can't think of anything? Don't worry, we've got you covered! Here are some simple, meaningful ways to show your appreciation for the importance of literacy:

1. Donate books and reading materials to your local school or community center.
2. Start a reading club! Reading can be a social activity too!
3. VOLUNTEER to tutor someone who struggles with reading and writing. People of all ages need help!
4. Spare 140 characters. On Twitter? Share some literacy knowledge with your followers and help raise awareness!
5. Emphasize the importance of learning to love reading to a young person.
6. Read a story with a child. Better yet - have them read it to you!
7. Get a library card!  
8. Write a review of a book you've read recently, or read a review of some books you might like to read.
9. DONATE money to organizations that help people learn to read and write (like us!!). Every dollar helps purchase materials for students and tutors. The better educated Central Floridians are, the stronger our community becomes. Donate here: http://adultliteracyleague.org/donate/donatenow.html

Happy Literacy Day!!



 

September 8th is International Literacy Day!

Today, nearly 17% of the world's adult population is still not literate. Additionally, an estimated 122 million youth globally are illiterate.

We currently serve 1,040 students from 85 different countries, with another 100+ students on our waiting list.

This Saturday, September 8th is International Literacy Day! Celebrate by donating today, and helping us help others!

Setting Goals

Helping your student set long and short term goals is one of the most rewarding parts of being a tutor. Using the Monthly Tutoring Report which you can find on our website at www.adultliteracyleague.org you can interview your student about things he or she would like to be able to do, or do better;  everything from reading to children to filling out forms. If your student has a long term goal such as getting the GED or entering technical training or post-secondary education it can seem a long and difficult way off in the future. By reviewing the tutor report check boxes with your student both of you will discover that there has been progress in many areas - and all progress is forward movement towards that long-term goal!

Read the Summer Away

With only a few weeks left of summer break, why not enjoy the rest of your vacation catching up with a good book? You can visit your local library or book store and pick out a book you have been meaning to get to, or select a new book to read to the kids. Here are a few recommendations from the Adult Literacy League:

For children ages birth-5 years old:

The Surprise Garden – by Zoe Hall and Shari Halpern (illustrator)

You Read to Me, I’ll Read to You: Very Short Mother Goose Tales to Read Together – by Mary Ann Hoberman, and Michael Emberley (illustrator)

For children ages 3-5 years old:

The Colors of Us – by Karen Katz

Turtle in Paradise – by Jennifer L. Holm

For kids ages 10-15 (and adults!)

Percy Jackson and the Olympians – by Rick Riordan, young adult series (Greek mythology)

The Kane Chronicles – by Rick Riordan, young adult series (Egyptian mythology)

The Hunger Games – by Suzanne Collins

For adults:

Pride and Prejudice – by Jane Austen

The Count of Monte Cristo – Alexandre Dumas 

The Casual Vacancy – J.K. Rowling

We hope you enjoy these wonderful books with your friends and family. Happy Friday!

Something New for Summer

It's summertime, your kids have been in the house all day playing more video games than they should and eating way too much ice-cream. You're sitting in the kitchen thinking, “What can I do to get these kids outside or engaged in a productive activity?”

Well, you're in luck! Myself and the other Public Allies have found a solution for your summertime blues. START A BOOK CLUB! It’s simple, free and a lot of fun! You can invite the the children in your neighborhood, your friends and family members. The group doesn't have to be just for kids- reading is an activity that both young and old can enjoy!


All you have to do is create a simple schedule Monday-Friday and have your child or teen track how many pages they read each day. They will feel a sense of accomplishment and they will also learn along the way.

At your book club meetings, you can ask the group different questions about all the various books each of them have read. Some good questions to ask are: “What character can you relate to most in your book?" or "If you can add another character to the story, who would it be and what would they do?"


Questions like these should encourage lively discussions and encourage your kids to think critically about what they read.

We hope you’ll enjoy this summertime activity and read some fantastic books with your family and friends!

Guest Blog: A Pledge of Allegiance

A class uses flash cards to review questions for the citizenship exam.

Students prepare by using
this study guide.

  

GINA SOLOMON

 ALL Adult Education Director

Last week, I was invited to attend the citizenship swearing in ceremony at the Federal Courthouse in Downtown Orlando. My ESOL student, Yency, was finally seeing her hard work and dedication pay off as she was sworn in as a new U.S. citizen. I remember meeting Yency five years ago, when she came to ALL to get help with her English language skills. She came from El Salvador and had been living in the U.S. for several years already.  When we met, Yency was a shy but sweet young woman who was eager to learn English so that she could fully embrace her American Dream. Yency has 2 children of her own who were born here in the U.S.  Approximately 4 years ago, she became guardian of her 3 youngest siblings—a role she accepted wholeheartedly after her mom passed away in El Salvador.

Fast forward to present day … and imagine my pleasure (and surprise) when Yency walked into the League to drop off brochures from the immigration attorney for whom she is now employed. She was bubbly and confident and speaking English BEAUTIFULLY!  I was so excited for her and wanted to celebrate her successful journey, so naturally, I accepted her invitation to attend her swearing in ceremony. What an honor it would be to share this day with her!

I have been to one previous “swearing in ceremony” at the Immigration Services Office and it was beautiful. However, Yency’s ceremony, held at the Federal Courthouse with the Honorable Karla Spaulding presiding, was unforgettable.  I brought my 5-year old son with me so that he could learn a little bit about how special it is to be born an American and the sacrifices that other people make just to become U.S. citizens. While we were waiting on the bench outside the courtroom, I noticed a pretty blonde woman staring at me. It finally dawned on me that this lady was ALSO an ALL student, Maritza, whom I hadn’t seen in over a year. She, too, was being sworn in as a U.S. citizen!

I wrote down the countries of birth for the roughly 50 new Americans as they were read aloud by Judge Spaulding: Albania, Belarus, Bolivia, China, Colombia, Costa Rica, Czech Republic, Dominican Republic, Ecuador, El Salvador, Estonia, Haiti, Hungary, India, Iran, Jamaica, Kenya, Kyrgyzstan, Mexico, Montserrat, Morocco, Nicaragua, Panama, Peru, Philippines, Russia, Sri Lanka, Taiwan, United Kingdom, Uruguay, Venezuela and Vietnam.

ALL instructor Vince Scalise works with
volunteers during a citizenship workshop.

 It was like music to my ears to listen to all of the different voices and accents reciting the Pledge of Allegiance after being sworn in.  It made me think about all of the students here at ALL, who speak over 20 different languages and come from 55 different countries. Most of them have similar dreams like Yency and Maritiza; they come to the U.S. to provide a better way of life for themselves and their children. So far this year, we’ve had 17 students become U.S. citizens thanks to the help of our dedicated volunteer tutors and the very popular ESOL instructor, Vince Scalise, who teaches citizenship classes twice a week. Students enrolled in Vince’s class have a 100% passing rate on their citizenship exam. The national average is about 94%. 

I think my favorite part of Yency’s swearing in ceremony was when Judge Spaulding appealed to all of the new citizens and asked that they not lose their native cultures. Judge Spaulding encouraged the new citizens to embrace their languages and traditions and to proudly share them with other Americans. As we prepare to celebrate America’s birthday on July 4^th, let us not forget that it is our willingness to understand one another -by respecting and celebrating our differences- that makes our country so great.

Alphabet Soup!

As technology and the internet become more readily available, why not take advantage of the fun resources for your children online!?

One we would like to highlight today is the "Alphabet Soup" game on the Sesame Street website! This game is perfect for the beginner readers. Words are spelt out but are missing one letter. You just have to insert one letter!

Click the Picture Below:

As always, with any internet activity, please keep a close watch over your child. With ads and random pop-ups, anything can accidentally clicked on. I would advise disabling pop-ups, if your internet browser doesn't already have that setting in place AND setting up parental settings that restrict certain websites. Google has some resources you can check out it too (especially if you plan on leaving your young child unattended for any period of time while he or she is playing online). http://www.google.com/goodtoknow/familysafety/

Happy Friday everyone!

Write Your Own Folk Tale.

After reading an article about African folktales, we thought it'd be a fun activity for your little one to write a folktale of their own.

African folktales are cultural stories that have been passsed down from generation to generation filled with experiences, animals, environment, and more. Folktales tend to explain events people couldn't understand, or the reasons why animals act and look the way they do. For example, ask your child what he or she thinks about why the moon rises or how the zebra got his stripes. Be creative and work together!


What you will need:

• Construction paper
• Scissors
• Glue
• Markers, crayons, or paints
• Lined paper
• Pencil or pen
• Yarn or pipe cleaners

Step 1: Do a thought jogger with your child to help them come up with creative animals to use.  Be sure to discuss the parts of the story with your child too.


Step 2: Have your child practice by writing down the details of the story one line at a time neatly. Have them draw a picture to match what they describe.

Step 3:Have your creative genius make a final copy and bind it together with pipe cleaners or colorful yarn!

Step 4: Have fun!

We hope you and your family enjoy this activity and we hope you have a great weekend!

Guest Blog: Great Internet Resources

Vince Scalise, 

ESOL Instructor

Students working on their language skills today have wonderful free resources available to them. In our age of technology there are numerous web sites, YouTube videos and blogs for language learners. As an ESL instructor working with multi-level students I have found the Internet invaluable.

Most of my lessons I pull from different sites, but I will always tweak them a little. I go to Google Images to add pictures whenever possible, and I have found that extremely helpful for our ESL students. I also send out some cyber lessons every Monday to my students. These are mostly from YouTube but also from a few web sites I like, which correspond with the class lessons for the week.

I would like to share a few of these sites with you.

http://www.youtube.com/ - type in the lesson you are interested in. I recommend adding some music videos with the lyrics. This is a fun way to practice diction.

http://www.engvid.com/ - One of my favorite sites, this is from a language school, their instructors are great.

http://www.youtube.com/user/JenniferESL - An ESL instructor has posted her lessons on YouTube

http://www.cambridge.org/us/esl/venturesadulted/venturesarcade/index.html

http://www.englishclub.com/ - check out their idioms

http://esl.about.com/

http://www.uic.edu/depts/tie/coolsites.htm - this list from University of Illinois in Chicago has numerous sites.

These are just the tip of the iceberg. I encourage everyone to explore the web for helpful lessons. It is a free source of great information. And these sites are not just for ESL students, any topic can be found. I even found some of the old “Schoolhouse Rocks” videos, which I used in my citizenship class. If anyone would like to be added to my distant learner e-mail group please email me at yanks78915@aol.com.

It's all in the eyes.

When you think of reading to your children, your class or a young child, you usually think to point out the pictures, the colors, and all the pretty things on the pages. Now all of that is wonderful, but what about the actual text of the book? Isn't that what we want them to eventually understand so they can be successful readers? Well, a recent study shows that pre-school children who are read to and have help focusing on the text of the books are better readers as they grow up. In part of the study, they watched children's eye movements to see where they were focusing on and usually it was on the teacher or the picture, but not the text! They gave a few tips on to how to get children to begin focusing on the text so they could familiarize themselves with the letters and full words.

Try it yourself! See if your child is focusing on the words by simply watching their eyes when you read to them. Perhaps their only focusing on the pictures or looking at you? Of course its difficult to get a young child to focus but there are some great ways to make it happen! For instance you could use "matching cards" made out of pieces of paper or flash cards with the words and letters on them from the book you are about to read. Then, after you read a few sentences ask the child to match the letter or card in their hand with the word or letter on the page. You could also ask the child to find the first word on the page, or the last word on the page. This matching game will have their reading skills soar and they will be independent readers before your very eyes!

I hope you enjoyed learning something new today and be sure to share it with others. Have a Happy Friday everyone!

National Musuem Day- Free Admission!

This Sunday the Orlando Museum of Art (OMA) will be offering free admission as part of the Association of Art Museum Directors national Museum Day!

 Be sure to be that at 2pm for The Storytellers of Central Florida who will be telling folk tales, Cracker tales and other stories about Floridians.

All ages welcome. Free admission to the OMA May 20/noon-4pm.

2416 North Mills Ave Orlando, Florida 407 896 4231

 Bring the family and enjoy a FREE afternoon of art, reading and fun in our great city!

Guest Blog: Persons and People and English Oddities

Morgan Knezovich, 

Adult Literacy League Board Member

Being a part of a literacy organization, I’ve come to accept that oddities within the English language are just my thing. A recent conversation with volunteers and staff at the League led to a discussion on the appropriate use of the term persons and people. One of our literacy tutors had not known quite how to answer her student's question about this usage. So, if this question has ever crossed your mind or you just need a quick grammatical refresher, here’s something I put together just for you:

International Day of Families--May 15!

This upcoming Tuesday on May 15 the United Nations and the rest of the world will be celebrating International Day of Families! This is an annual celebration for families all around the world and this year the focus is on “ensuring work family balance”. The United Nations wants to call attention to all families and how each of them provides economically and emotionally for each member. To celebrate this special day take some time to learn about another culture! Ask your child to name as many countries as they can. From there, ask your child to pick one country that they would like to know more about. After you have your country, do some research! What do their families look like? What do their houses look like? Do both the boys and girls go to school? You can find that information on the internet, in books or by having conversation with people from that culture.

Happy Family Literacy Friday everyone!

The Ultimate Bedtime Story.

Hey everyone, Happy Family Literacy Friday! Today we're going to tell you all about an adventure that will require to use your imagination and a few books. Grab a large sheet, your child's favorite blanket and book and head to your living room because its tent building time! What kid or adult doesn't love buidling a tent, castle or giant mansion right in their own home? You can get your child using their imagination and excited about reading for free right in the comfort of your family room. You may want to choose a story about kids going on a camping trip, a princess in a castle or Native Americans. There are so many ways to get creative and have a few good laughs along the way. You and your family could tell the stories in different voices or even act out the scenes. This adventurous activity will be sure to become a favorite for everyone!

See, big kids like to have adventures too!

A Card Of Their Own.

Do you have a library card? Does your child?


If your answer is no it looks like you and your family have an adventure in your near future! Having a library card is a wonderful and free commodity offered all over Florida. With a library card you'll be able to check out books, music, DVD's and even books on tape. Not only can you check out iteams you can also take classes at your local library teaching you to use a computer, type on a keyboard or set up an email address.


The reason we decided to write about this is because all of us Public Allies use our cards all the time. What I personally love to do is check out books online and have them delievered to my house! It's such a fun surprise to come home from a long day and see a bright blue bag from the library with my book in it.

So This weekend round up the gang and head to your local library. Have your children sign themselves up for their card, this way they feel a sense of ownership over their reading, and they'll have a card on it with their name! They will feel like rockstars.


Free books, computers, classes, DVD and music? It would be silly to not take part in these free and wonderful things. If you're nervous or unsure of how to find a library around you, we have posted the websites in the tri-county area of Orange, Osceola and Seminole County.


Alright families, now its time to head down to your local library and sign up for your very own library card, we promise you'll love it!




http://www.ocls.info/


http://www.osceolalibrary.org/


http://www.seminolecountyfl.gov/Libraries/index.aspx

I Spy -- Literacy Style!

So if we haven’t given you enough Family Literacy Friday Fun Games, we thought we’d give you another!  This week we are going to take one of the Public Allies’ favorite childhood games, “I Spy”, and add in some literacy fun.


If you are not familiar with the game “I Spy” it is simply a game of clues and guessing.  For this literacy style version of “I Spy” we will start by having the parent be the person who “spies” the object.  While keeping the object a secret from the “guessers”, pick an object that is visible in the room.  Next, create a statement beginning with “I spy” followed by a characteristic of that object. For example if the object you “spied” was a banana, you might say “I spy something yellow.” Continue your “I Spy” statements until the “guessers” have guessed the object!


Now for our literacy twist to the game, we’re going to bring in some phonics.  For each new object, have the first “I spy” statement begin “I spy something that begins with the [insert sound of the first letter of the object] sound”.  For example, if the object you chose was a map, your first “I Spy” statement would be “I spy something that begins with the [m] sound” If you need a refresher on phonics, check out our previous blog post on Phonics Fun!  If your child does not guess the object after your first “I spy” statement, continue on with the game as we described above.  So if your object was a map, for example, after your first phonics statement, your next “I Spy” statement could be “I spy something that has many colors on it.” If the "I Spy" statements that follow the initial phonics "I Spy" statement, led the child to guess a object that does not begin with the [m] sound, you might want to remind them that the object has [m] sound. For example if the second clue "I spy something that has many colors on it" and your child says "Blanket!" you could ask them "Does Blanket begin with the [m] sound?"


If your child grasps on to this game quickly and you think they might want something a little more challenging, have your child “spy” something and practice their phonics!

For more “I Spy” fun, check out the “I Spy” books from Scholastic! *Available for rent at your local library :)

Happy Friday Everyone!

Give a Gold Star

A great way to get young children excited to read is by giving them an incentive. A wonderful way to do this is set up a fun and colorful chart in the child's room with a list of five or ten books. Whenever a book is read from start to end, have your little reader put a star next to the book. Make sure to get the whole family involved with this one, your teens who are reading much longer novels can have a chart in their rooms too, so that their younger sibling can see that reading is for everyone at any age! Now, every child is motivated by different things and since you know your kid or kid best, it will be up to you to figure out the perfect prize for wonderful reading. Maybe it will be stickers or maybe it will be that after reading seven books they will get a trip to the community pool, park or library. We would suggest to not have the prize be more time with the television, we do want them to eventually realize that reading alone is a reward!


If you want your child, students or other family members to be successful readers who are motivated to learn, make sure that those children know you are their biggest fan and that you won't give up on them. Once they know this they are sure to build their confidence. It's as simple as saying good job, or patiently helping them sound out a word, you are their reading cheerleader and will have more of an impact than you will ever know!


Happy Friday and have fun reading everybody!