TO: PLA/ALSC Early Literacy Initiative Demonstration Sites
FROM: PLA/ALSC Early Literacy Task Force
RE: Further Opportunities for Participation
DATE: July 3, 2002
Thanks to every site that participated this past year in the PLA/ALSC
early literacy initiative as a demonstration site. You took this on with
no offer of financial support, no real assistance from the outside except
in the materials that were the basis of our demonstration project, and
no knowledge of what you were getting into - just an interest in improving
your services to preschool children.
Don't forget that your reports (print copy please) are needed now. Please
send them (print copy please) to Dr. Virginia Walter, 2458 Glencoe Avenue,
Venice CA 90291. Ginny will use these documents to develop the evaluation
of this first demonstration period. (Any documents that were sent to Elaine
or PLA already will be forwarded to Ginny; no need to submit twice.)
At the meeting of demonstration sites at the ALA annual conference in
Atlanta, 13 demonstration sites were represented, and we have received
written reports from other sites. Each reported successes and surprises
(not failures - just things that didn't turn out exactly as expected).
Consistent themes were:
- parents and caregivers appreciative of what they learned, and all learned something
- affirmation for parents and caregivers who were trying to help their children, and found out they were on the right track
- difficulty in getting parents in targeted populations into the library, so programs were offered in other locations
- initial reluctance to conduct evaluation interviews, but found in actual conduct of evaluation interviews that questions were not intrusive to the participants
- positive relationships developed or affirmed with school systems, Head Start, child care providers and other local children's programs
- new respect in the community for the public library's role in early childhood issues and education
- new respect in the library for a research-based approach to preschool services.
We do know from our discussions at ALA that we want to continue to develop these materials and approaches for children's services that are influenced by educational research. Both the PLA and ALSC Boards strongly support this initiative and have approved funding to continue this project during the next year. Our plans are for the Task Force to continue with a two-year plan of action. We want to continue working with demonstration sites to improve and build upon this first year.
The Task Force will be developing specific information for how sites can choose to continue with this project, and we will be contacting each of you to determine your wishes. We hope that many of you will want to continue to work with this important project.
In the meantime, if you have questions please contact Elaine Meyers at 602.262.4607 or Harriet Henderson at 240.777.0012, email hendeh@co.mo.md.us. And -- the powerpoint for the program given at ALA is on the PLA website under the "Handouts from PLA Programs at ALA" link on the first page for anyone who would like to view it, and the current (July 2002) issue of SLJ highlights early literacy with references to this project and several demonstration sites.
Task Force Members: Ellen Fader, Sari Feldman, Harriet Henderson, Elaine Meyers, Ginny Walter, Gretchen Wronka