Supporting Family Learning and Literacy Discussion with Emily Wolfe

Hi Everyone!

I am delighted to begin today's discussion on Supporting Family Learning and Literacy with our special guest Emily Wolfe from Penn State University! I am thrilled that two other LINCS groups, English Language Acquisition (moderator Susan Finn Miller) and Teaching and Learning (moderator Susan Roberts), are co-hosting today's event. This is a day-long discussion where everyone is very welcome to participate by asking questions and sharing their insights. 

The purpose of today's event is to help LINCS members understand principles for working with families with low incomes, effective strategies for working with families to promote adult learning and support for children’s education, and how family literacy instruction can be adapted to remote/online settings.

Emily Wolfe, who is the Adult Education & Family Literacy Services Coordinator at Penn State University, is our guest. She has worked in family literacy for the past 20 years as an adult education and family literacy services coordinator, America Reads coordinator, and professional development specialist in family literacy. 

Welcome Emily and thanks so much for sharing your expertise with us today!

I will lead off with the first question:

Emily, what strategies have you found to be successful in integrating adult education, parent education and interactive family literacy activities?

 

Steve Schmidt, Moderator

LINCS Reading and Writing Group 

Comments

Great question!  I believe that component integration is essential in providing high quality family literacy programming.  Additionally, it addresses the entire family and supports their literacy development. 

Every family program approaches integration differently.  At Penn State Family Pathways, we typically begin by identifying a parent/child/family related topic.  From there we locate level appropriate reading material and online resources.  We then “package” and deliver them in ways that promote the use of parents’ reading and writing skills.  Once this is completed, we develop intergenerational literacy activities (ILAs) that connect to the theme.  Note…  ILA is a Pennsylvania family literacy term.  You may know this as Parent and Child Together (PACT) time. 

Our adult education and parent education (PE) components are often so integrated it is hard to tease out which is which.  This week is a great example.  The theme is “back to school.”  Since many of our families are intimidated by school communication, we decided to focus on that.  Here is the scope and sequence we used for yesterday’s lesson.

  1. Topic discussion:  Modes of communication, feelings related to school communication
  2. Pre-reading vocabulary activity: Word/definition matching
  3. Round robin reading using  authentic materials:  School letter and photo consent form
  4. Comprehension activities:  Document scavenger hunt for key information; Respond to document related questions in writing using complete sentences
  5. School communication practice:  Draft a text or email to the school with a question they have; Work with a partner to proof the communication and revise as needed

To integrate the topic into our ILA component,  we selected the children’s book,  The Kissing Hand by Audrey Penn.  (If you don’t know the story, check it out.  I embedded the link in the title.)  Tomorrow we will review the story during PE time using the following online read aloud –  Storyline Online.  Afterward we will discuss feelings related to the first day of school. Finally, we will highlight literacy related activities that can be done at home to extend the story and its concepts.      

I hope you were able to mine a few nuggets from my response.  I can wait to hear your thoughts and questions!  ~Emily  

Hello Emily, We are so pleased to have you join us on LINCS today to share your expertise in family literacy. It's great to reconnect with you here on LINCS. (Emily and I have known each other for a long time since we are both in Pennsylvania!)

It was great to learn how you integrated the components of family literacy in your lesson on the timely topic of "back to school." Thanks so much for sharing the Storyline Online site. That's a new one for me. I'm certain many members will be eager to draw from the site for their family literacy classes.

When I taught in our family literacy program, we had families from a wide range of backgrounds, including English learners at all levels as well as those studying for a high school equivalency diploma. Could you tell us a bit about your class? Also given the recent challenges to in-person classes, I am wondering how you may have adapted your family literacy instruction to continue to meet the needs of families who may not be able to attend in-person.

Cheers, Susan Finn Miller

Moderator, English Language Acquisition CoP

Hi Susan!  Great to "see" you again.  I'm glad you found some new resources from my post.  

About my class... We serve two counties. In Lycoming County, our students are typically working toward obtaining a high school equivalency diploma or employment.  Based on TABE results, they fall in the NRS 2- NRS 5 range. In Centre County, our students are exclusively English language learners who fall in the beginner to intermediate range.  

COVID certainly changed life (and family literacy) as we knew it.   Adapting to the ever-changing climate requires us to think on our feet, be flexible and creative.  I am going to outline our approach to meeting the needs of families unable to attend in person in  three phases.  Early, mid, and late pandemic.

Early pandemic (AKA “building the plane while we were flying it”)

When the statewide quarantine began, we swiftly switched to remote instruction via Zoom.  Class days, times, and format remained untouched.  We tried to package class content in a manner that kept students engaged from afar.  This meant tapping into online resources that made learning fun and promoted interaction. Some examples include Baamboozle and Kahoot! for teaching games, edpuzzle for interactive videos, and TedEd for video based lessons.  Note… I embedded links in the previous examples in case you want to check them out.

In areas with greater digital inequity, we delivered print-based materials and Intergenerational Literacy Activities (ILA) kits.  To increase educational hours, we boosted our promotion of supplemental distance learning (SDL).  SDL resources included Khan Academy, ESL Library (now Ellii), Essential Ed, and Townsend Press.   SDL materials were a success with students who could work on them in the evening after their children went to bed. 

Mid pandemic

When COVID guidelines changed and things began to open up, we converted to a HyFlex approach.  Parents had the flexibility to decide whether they wanted (or were able) to come in person or join us online via Zoom.  Parents also had the flexibility to decide at the last minute how they would attend.  This flexibility really boosted our attendance.  For example, if a parent needed to stay home to let the plumber in, they could join us online.

We tried earnestly to foster interaction among students regardless of location.  Strategies that worked from the early pandemic phase rolled over.  Delivery of print-based materials slowed dramatically.  To boost our ILA hours and keep families connected, we launched a once weekly remote storytime and scavenger hunt. 

Late pandemic

This is the place where we are currently operating.  Things have settled in the last six months.  Although we continue to offer HyFlex we have noticed that parents tend to stick to either in-person or online.  At our Williamsport, PA location, parents almost exclusively attend in person.  At our State College, PA location, there are just three people… my, myself and I.  Everyone else joins online.  ?

We have discontinued the delivery print-based materials as it is no longer needed.  Online SDL and the weekly storytime and scavenger hunt are still going strong. 

Once again, I cant wait to hear everyone's thoughts and questions.  ~Emily

I am Facebook friends with a reading teacher who works with adults at a library. BUT her program was shut down, first because of Covid and now because the library is being remodelled.

I suggested she try teaching with WhatsApp.

Perhaps you can share some information here that I can relay to her.

 

Thanks for bringing this up Paul... We love Whatsapp!!!  I actually mentioned it in my post about keeping students engaged remotely.  Check it out.

The only thing I might add is that I tapped into Whatsapp for our class field trip to the county fair last week.  Families received a map went on a scavenger hunt.  At each location they found, they took a selfie and posted it to our class WhatsApp group.  It was a hit!

Emily....this is great! Perhaps you could write a mini-manual for the teacher I mentioned.

 I think she like many educators are not aware of or are skeptical of online learning. It would be very useful to show people how easy and effective it can be.

Thanks 

Greetings,

We recently started an Afghan refugee family learning program. This last year we experienced a significant number of Afghan refugees enrolling in our English language acquisition (ELA) program. Refugees typically have a short window of time to secure housing, enroll in educational services, and secure a job. Many of the men in the family units secured jobs rather quickly, however, we believed it important to find a way to retain the women in the program. Therefore, we partnered with a faith-based organization within walking distance of many of the students and started offering family learning services. This was culturally acceptable in that women remained among each other and their children. This assisted the program with retention of students, who continue to need ELA and acclimate to the culture. And provides an opportunity to learn with and prepare their children for the transition into the U.S. public school system. 

Question: Are there tips, techniques, and/or strategies that are particularly helpful in serving refugee populations? We were fortunate in employing an accomplished English-speaking refugee to teach both ELA classes and within the family learning program - which was of great benefit in helping us properly communicate and learn the students' cultural effects.

Thank you.

Thanks for posting Jacqueline!  We, too, are in the infancy of working with resettlement families from Afghanistan.   Perhaps someone else in the group with more experience can chime in.  We are exploring offering an evening class for the men, who as you know need to obtain employment ASAP.  Many of them start class and are gone within two weeks.  Despite this they have a great need to expand their English skills and we want to continue to serve them.  The Afghan women we've enrolled so far have had very low levels of English.  Because of this we have not been able to include them in our family literacy class.  They are currently enrolled through our adult education program in the basic beginner class.  Despite not being officially family literacy enrolled, I include them in family related events and activities to help them build their network.  I also invite them to my online storytime to at the very least, expose their children to the English language and make new friends.  

Forgot to mention that a woman from the community resettlement committee woman started a weekly family meet-up at a local park.  She pointedly invited native English speaking families with young children to come to interact with the newly arrived Afghan families.  It has been a great success.  Lots of English spoken, food eaten and friends made. 

I like Books Unbound  Our Projects - Books Unbound (books-unbound.org).  They have several projects, including culturaly specific coloring books and picture dictionaries. There's always Coco-melon (which has captions). Also, there is uniteforliteracy.com (for kids).  Read-along books.  They have narration in other languages for many of the books too. There  are kids-based resources, such as learning chocolate.

 If you're working in-person, there are always craft projects that you can do along with whatever you are reading or talking about. (There is no truth to the rumors that I save dryer lint for these purposes, although I may save egg cartons   .  . .)     

 

 What I would really like to be able to do is get my hands on Book Creator, but we're not a school district.   This looks like software similar to IBM's Reading Companion but more sophisticated. We've made print versions of language experience approach stories, but I'd love to be able to make books with audio. I've tried making little videos from Powerpoint, but that requires more sophisticated skills than many of my students can use. 

Thanks so much for joining and sharing your expertise with us today, Emily!

How do you bring family literacy instruction to life in a remote setting and keep students engaged?

Susan Roberts
Teaching and Learning Group Moderator

Hi Susan!  Thanks for your question.   I hit on a few of the strategies we use in my post about adapting to meet the needs of families at home.  

I was surprised about the level and quality of engagement we could have in an online setting.  When we transitioned to Zoom early in the pandemic, I made it my mission to make class as much like in person as possible.  I never required or even asked students to keep their cameras on - but guess what?  They ALL do.  I think the sense of community they feel with each other naturally invites them to turn and leave on their camera. 

We saw an increase in enrollment of students preferring online classes during the pandemic.  This trend has continued on, particularly with mothers of young children.  For some of our mothers (we have only mothers and at this point), class was their lifeline. Whenever a new students starts, we go around the "room" and everyone introduces themselves.  Name, where they are from, how long they have been here, how many children they have and how old they are. This helps them relate to one another, not only as adult learners but as parents.  

Right before the pandemic we discovered Whatapp.  Initially it was to share information about class cancellations, homework reminders, etc. It quickly became a way for them to practice writing in English, let each other know about community events, and to share pictures of their children.  It also gave them a way to connect with each other a friends.

I would love to hear what others are doing.  ~Emily

Hello Jacki, It's really great that the program you described has found a teacher who can communicate with the Afghan refugees in their primary language. You asked about tips. My first question would be about the level of education for the adults being served. No surprise, it makes a huge difference how we approach teaching English with those who have a solid educational foundation compared to those who do not.

Emily, what a fantastic idea to invite families with young children who speak English to interact informally -- along with food!-- with the new arrivals. 

The family learning participants are lower level English speakers. However, it does appear having their children work in concert with them has produced increased English speaking skills. Their school age children are at school now and their toddlers and infants remain with them at the church. We'll change the format a bit to provide childcare and focus on the adults' language skills as well as parenting and family activities (likely to take place a home with their older children included). 

It sounds like everyone is doing a great job already supporting these newcomers, Jacki. Working as a family is such an effective approach, especially for those who have young children. Including the older kids will also be helpful.  Providing childcare for the youngest kids for at least for part of the time, would be effective, too.

I'm guessing that building listening and speaking skills in English is likely these adults first priority. Here's a link to a site featuring classroom videos of recommended instructional strategies for beginning English learners from our wonderful Minnesota colleagues. (For those who may be interested, this site was reviewed for the LINCS Resource Collection here.)

I am glad to meet someone else serving resettled families from Afghanistan.  We were happy to welcome them into our community.  

It is great that you might be able to provide some childcare so parents can attend class without distraction. Feel free to reach out to me to chat if you'd like.  I can be reached at eap3@psu.edu.  Thanks for contributing to today's discussion.  Best wishes.  ~Emily

Thanks Emily and all! This is a great discussion packed with so much useful information!

Emily, I was wondering about families with limited resources. Many of our students have few if any books at home and reliable Internet access is an ongoing issue. 

How to do encourage families with limited resources to promote their child’s reading and writing development at home?

Thanks Steve!

Our program attempts to level the playing field – so to speak – with families. We feature interactive literacy activities (ILA) that capitalize on imagination, creativity, and items readily available at home. 

Penn State Family Pathways strives to help families build their home libraries.  We have some money in our budget to purchase books in bulk though Scholastic.  I supplement this with yard sales finds and donations from friends and family.  Book packages are distributed to families during face-to-face family events.  

I know it may sound odd, but Pinterest is a great resource for family reading and writing activities.   In my prior post on component integration, I mentioned that we identify a theme/topic and build on it.  We select a quality children’s book that appeals to a diverse population and a range of ages.  From there I build a “menu” of relevant literacy (reading, writing, STEM, art, etc.) activities on a Pinterest board.  Part of our parent education time is devoted to walking through the activities.  We talk about what children learn from them and ways they can adapt the activities (or materials) to meet their family’s needs.  The link is then shared with parents. 

Each week I scour the local news for community events that are family related and free/low cost.  When we cover updates and current events in our lesson, I highlight those activities.  Because our program is on a limited supply budget, I often tap into the events for a family meet-up/ILA.

I would be curious to hear what others are doing to address this.  My best activities come from idea "theft."  Am I the only one???  ~Emily

I would like to thanks LINCS and Steve Schmidt for the opportunity to participate in this discussion today.  I was honored to be asked.  I welcome comments and questions about the work we are doing at Penn State Family Pathways.  Please feel free to reach out to me via email to network further.  My email is eap3@psu.edu.  Have a great evening everyone!  ~Emily

Hi Everyone,

Many thanks to Emily Wolfe for her time, expertise, and participation in the Supporting Family Learning and Literacy Discussion! Thanks also to my colleagues Susan Finn Miller (English Language Acquisition) and Susan Roberts (Teaching and Learning) for co-sponsoring this event.

Emily, you shared a wealth of knowledge about integrating adult education, parent education and interactive family literacy activities, teaching family literacy remotely while keeping students engaged, and serving families with limited resources. The discussion also provided some useful information about WhatsApp, serving refugees, and building listening and speaking skills. 

Many thanks to all who participated, and I look forward to interacting with you again during future events!

Steve Schmidt. Moderator

LINCS Reading and Writing Group

 

For resources for family literacy, have you all tried the Dolly Parton Imagination library? Dolly Parton's Imagination Library | USA, UK, IE, CA, AU I'd love to see this in languages other than English and Spanish, but still, it's a start.  Also, I haven't developed this much, but several of my online Moms with little kids floating around will work with "Cocomelon" (cartoon with words), Baby Shark etc. and Learning Chocolate.  It may just be 5-10 min that you can keep both Moms and kids engaged together, but every little bit helps if it's regular instruction.  . . . p.s. Barbershop books may also be a helpful resource.About - Barbershop Books