A program that I am trying to implement in my school/community would target Education and the Black Family. I am looking to develop a book club/literature circle at the school. Initially, it would be targeting mother/daughter partnerships. Participation in the program requires the child to have an adult participate in the program. Structure:
The literature circle will incorporate the principles of cooperative learning to provide more structure. The circles will be composed of no more than 8 parent/child pairs who have chosen to read the same book. The books should represent a variety of interests and a range of difficulty levels so that students have a choice, and there are books that are appropriate for average, below-average, and above-average readers.
The groups meet once a month and decide which role* each member will fulfill. Key roles include discussion leader, summarizer, literacy reporter, illustrator, word chief, and connector. Roles will be changed each month.
Once this is up and running, I would like to recruit a male teacher to sponsor a father/son circle. Then we can build up to a family literature circle.
This program helps to enhance reading and language arts skills for the students and possibly for the parents. It also gives and opportunity for parents to spend time with their children in a structured setting (meetings) and then at home reading the books and preparing for their role at the next meeting. Learning while spending time with your family can be a rewarding experience for parent and child.
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