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PARENT ADVOCATES FOR LITERACY AT SANCHEZ

A Grass Roots Early Literacy and Parent Involvement Initiative involving
the Austin Independent School District, The University of Texas, Dana
Center, and Americorps

Parent Advocates for Literacy (PALS) program, draws on the strengths of
the community to provide preschool children a strong foundation for
early literacy. Operated in a predominantly Hispanic Title One
elementary school, the program capitalizes on parents as their child\'s
first teacher, supporting them in becoming partners in education. The
parents are trained in developmentally appropriate and effective early
literacy practices, and work with small groups of children for
forty-five minutes each day. This provides the PK teachers their 45
minute daily planning period, as mandated by the Texas Education Agency.

The program serves 55-64 prekindergarten children who had previously
spent this time in supervised, but non-instructional activities, in the
school cafeteria. In contrast, the children are now in a cheerful,
print-rich classroom, engaged in small group work, where they are
provided instruction in their dominant language (English or Spanish).
Children confidently participate in structured and meaningful reading
and writing activities that are research-based and child-centered. As a
direct result of participation in the PALS program, at the end of each
school year, PALS students have received a total of 22.5 additional
instructional days.

PALS is an integral part of the school-wide literacy efforts, and works
closely with other programs within the school, such as Americorps, and
the school\'s Dual Language Project. The school has also involved PALS
in school-wide staff development on literacy. The Dual Language Project
(1995-2000) has provided funds to make it possible for PALS parents to
attend education conferences at the state and national level. DLP has
also purchased of a multitude of commercial English/Spanish classroom
classroom library sets and parent activity sets for use by PALS
teachers, PK teachers, and parents.

The PALS daily lesson plans include the following three components:

# SINGING/POETRY

Children sing or chant poems and rhymes, as a teacher or a classmate
points to the written words. These activities develop concepts about
print and early phonemic awareness ability, both part of a strong
foundation for learning to read.

# READ ALOUD STORY TIME

Teachers read at least two stories aloud to the children each day,
reading expressively, inviting children\'s participation, and
encouraging talk about the stories, books. These book experiences become
the basis for children engaging in independent \"reading\" of familiar
books and for writing experiences and for drama. Teachers choose the
read alouds from a variety of high quality children\'s literature
available in the PALS room and in the school\'s library.

# GROUP PROJECTS/ CENTER WORK

The final part of the lesson involves work at centers or a group project
varying from group to group and from day today. Emphasis is given to
providing writing opportunities for children. Each child has a journal,
and the children often make their own group books based on a favorite
read

aloud. Children may also choose from teacher-made games that develop
color shape, and number concepts. Children are given many opportunities
to work with their name and names of their classmates. Over time, they
begin to recognize and produce letters on their own. All of these
experiences, provided in supportive, fun and developmentally appropriate
ways, and by members of the children\'s community, help the children
develop a strong foundation for school success.

The program has been a resounding success since its implementation in
1995-\'96. Yearly pre and post-test measures, as well as interviews with
teachers, administrators and parents indicate significant growth in
early literacy concepts, skills, and understandings for children
participating in the PALS program. Benefits of participation in this
program are not limited to PALS students,

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extend also to the children\'s parents, families, and community. Parents
become astute observers of how children learn to read and write and
share these observations and insights with their families and community.
They become confident and valued partners with the schools, and are able
to see and pursue new educational and community participation
opportunities for themselves and for their families.

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**1999-2001 PALS PROJECTED PROGRAM REFINEMENT**

# 

# 

# INSTRUCTION AND CURRICULUM

PALS teachers work hard at preparing their lessons and refining teaching
environment.

Need: Lack of resources for teacher planning.

Solution: Resources that offer activities and suggestions for literacy
extension, song, rhymes and poetry have been purchased, put into
notebook form.

# 

# TRAINING

PALS teachers are willing, ready to get training to improve their
teaching.

Need: Lack of resources.

Solution: Drop Everything and Read, Story Grammar (questioning skills
following reading of a book), Story Mapping (writing and recording of
story sequence), Book Talk (Used to introduce Big Books, where children
discuss story to be read w/a friend),Cover Talk (Children predict story
content based on cover illustration).

Incorporating additional strategies for both reading and writing will be
major focus in 2000-2001 school year.

# 

# LITERACY EXTENSION ACTIVITIES

PALS teachers have made concentrated efforts to reinforce the very
special \"literacy language\" that we want to immerse the children in.
Each teacher brings individual creative efforts.

Need: Need for informal games, strategies.

Solution: Teachers used a game that was piloted in class. Next year our
plans are to create additional games.

# 

# TRAINING MANUAL

PALS teachers recognize the need for quality, consistent training for
new PALS teachers.

Need: Need for consistent training/modeling procures.

Solution: Creation of PALS Training Manual. SEDL will help produce one
to be ready for August, 2000.

# 

# INDEPENDENT ACTIVITIES

PALS teachers have created an assortment of games, activities, and
materials.

Need: Need to isolate game/activity focus.

Solution: Continue to evaluate and reflect on choices provided children
during Independent Center Time. Concentrate on activities/games that
extend story knowledge, sequence, comprehension & language.

# DRAMATIC AREA

PALS teachers encourage story extension activities that are fun for
children.

Problem: Need to create a play area that encourages story extension
activities.

Solution: Establish a dramatic play area that can accommodate both whole
group and independent student use.

# 

# INTERACTIVE WRITING

PALS teachers encourage reading by incorporating interactive writing
activities.

Problem: Need to see modeling of interactive writing activities.

Solution: Continued introduction of new strategies through hand-outs and
modeling. Continue and expand journal writing in curriculum. Writing
demonstrations and think-aloud sessions will be identified and used.

# 

# PLANNING W/PK TEACHERS AND LIBRARIAN

Teachers, PALS teachers, librarian all seek to further literacy
activities

for students.

Need: Need to combine efforts of all players.

Solution: Identify in school library the alphabet, counting, predictable
books, and traditional folk tales available in English and Spanish. Plan
sharing sessions on regular basis with all PALS, PK teachers and
librarian.

# 

# PREKINDER CLASSROOMS

Prekinder teachers are very supportive of PALS teachers.

Need: Need for materials to support read-aloud and writing
demonstrations.

Solution: Each teacher will provide an easel for use by PALS teachers
and establish a work area conducive to team teaching (PK teacher & PALS
teacher) within classroom.

# 

# ADDITIONAL SUPPORT FOR AT-RISK STUDENTS

PALS teachers work to include all students in learning.

Need: Need to ensure that all students receive support needed to ensure
success.

Solution: Identify 1-2 at-risk students in each PALS group and allot
time on a daily basis to do one-on-one teaching with that student. Chart
progress.

# SECOND LANGUAGE INSTRUCTION

PALS teachers are aware of need for second language instruction and work
to pair teachers and PALS teacher so that all students have second
language instruction.

Need: Need to examine how ESL instruction is being delivered in the PALS
program.

Solution: Familiarize PALS teachers w/AISD ESL adopted texts for use by
PALS teachers. Work with Dual Language personnel to plan dual language
instruction for all PALS students whose parents are in agreement with
said instruction.

# TRANSITION FROM PALS TO PREKINDER CLASSROOMS

PALS teachers provide students a variety of small group literacy
activities.

Need: Need to consider the amount of time students have been engaged in
small group work in PALS area prior to going to their individual
classrooms. Need for change oF pace (developmentally appropriate
time-on-task planning).

Solution: Meet w/PK teachers to address this concern. Consider level of
student movement and activity prior to coming into PK classrooms, and
possible reconstruction of class schedule to allow for change of
pace/activity for students.

# COOPERATIVE PLANNING

PALS teachers search for and construct games, activities to extend
lessons.

Need: Need to work cooperatively to ensure equal share of
responsibilities /assignments.

Solution: Discuss cooperative planning to do activities such as the
following:

1.  check out books from school and public library

2.  set up/maintain role play area

3.  identify and acquire new songs, fingerplays for dismissal time

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Information and recommendations are the result of classroom observation
and consultation by Ninfa Gonzales (George I. Sánchez Elementary) and
Suzanne Ashby (Southwest Educational Development Lab, Austin, TX).