Newsletter: Wednesday, 14th Dec 11

Winter Newsletter 2011

Clare Family Learning Project

1.      A NALA Family Literacy Briefing Paper was published in September 2011. This is available to download at http://www.nala.ie/publications/family-literacy-briefing-paper

 

2.      Creating lifelong readers: Nurturing children’s literacy and numeracy through books.  This resource is produced by Donegal Childcare Committee and other partners.

http://www.donegalchildcare.com/wpcontent/uploads/2009/11/DCCC_CLR_Booklet_Eng-only.pdf

 

3.      http://www.getyourfolksonline.ie/courses is an online resource including lesson plans to get older people using IT. The improvers course includes using You-tube and listening to radio online. This could be used in a grandparents or parents working with children session.

 

4.      Get planning for World Book Day, Thursday 1st March, 2012! Link with the schools/ libraries in your area and get parents/grandparents ready for reading in their local school with a reading break. Visit http://www.quickreads.org.uk/news-and-media-centre/latest-news for ideas on quick reads.

 

 

5.      Get Going Reading is a downloadable UK booklet to support your work on No. 4! http://skillsforfamilies.excellencegateway.org.uk/images/stories/pdfs/parent_information_packs/Getting_going_Booktime_5s.pdf

 

6.      There is evidence that extended school services in or very close to the school for after school activities has proven successful in supporting families most at risk in the UK. A joint approach with social workers, health, youth services and justice, supports parents and their children with improvements in adult literacy as one of the outcomes. See article at http://www.cypnow.co.uk/Education/article/1096111/extended-services-found-improve-life-chances/

 

 

7.      Family literacy, language and numeracy programmes (Every Child Matters 2007, Dfes UK)  ‘For some families, issues with numeracy, literacy or other basic skills can act as barriers to parents supporting their children’s learning . . . Family learning programmes have been shown to deliver lasting improvements in literacy, numeracy and language skills in both children and their parents. They also boost parents’ involvement in their children’s learning, encourage parents to go on to further training and can re-connect them with schools they might previously have been wary of.’ (Every Child Matters, 2007, DfES).

 

8.      Learning literacy together: the impact and effectiveness of family literacy on parents, children, families and schools. Executive Summary: October 2009.

‘The evidence also shows that improving skill levels in adulthood has a positive effect on children’s skills. In other words, family literacy programmes can have a positive impact not only on parental skill levels but also, and as a result, on the skill levels of their children.’ http://skillsforfamilies.excellencegateway.org.uk/images/stories/pdfs/Research/FL_Summary_report_FINAL_20Nov09.pdf

 

9.      Family Literacy Day takes place in Canada on 27th January 2012. A new idea is for adults to choose five learning tasks from a downloadable passport and register online. http://sjd.sd61.bc.ca/wp/wp-content/uploads/2009/11/Family-Literacy-Day-January-2012.pdf

 

10.  NIACE made a number of recommendations in its Inquiry into Adult Literacy which was published in September 2011. The Department for Education must recognise the overriding importance of the family in ensuring that children grow up with good reading and writing skills. The intergenerational transfer of poor skills must be addressed; For more information visit http://www.niace.org.uk/news/niace-response-to-the-2011-skills-for-life-survey

 

11.  http://www.foodafactoflife.org.uk/Sheet.aspx?siteId=14&sectionId=63&contentId=143 is a good interactive website for parents to use with their children or tutors in a family learning situation with parents and children together. It has simple online games.

 

 

12.  This  Maths website set up in 1998 has supports for all stages of maths from junior infants to 3rd year in second level in Ireland. Senior cycle is being created at present. There are lots of interactive tasks: 41 at junior infants with 281 tasks at 3rd year level. If you get the wrong answer an explanation pops up. http://ie.ixl.com/promo?partner=google&phrase=display%20audiences%20banner%20IE&gclid=CJHN8P7S_qwCFQJP4QodbTOMSQ

 

Wishing everyone a very

Merry Christmas and

a Happy New Year!

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