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Schools of Hope | Head Start
Family
Literacy - Schools of Hope
Making a difference in the lives of families
The Schools of Hope Family Literacy program is a collaboration between the Heart of West Michigan United Way, Grand Rapids Public Schools and the Literacy Center of West Michigan. The program was developed to assist a growing number of families within the Schools of Hope who need basic English and literacy skills. It is modeled after a successful program developed by the National Center for Family Literacy. The program contains four components: education for the parent, education for the child, parent and child time together (PACT), and parenting discussion time.
Parent Education
The parents will attend English as a Second Language (ESL) classes that meet twice a week for 2 hours each day. The classes will help them with their reading, writing, speaking and listening skills. The classes will be designed to meet the individual goals of the parents. These may include: helping their child with homework, getting a job, advancing in their current job, and communicating in the real-life situations that they face every day. The skills they learn in the classroom will enable them to be more self-sufficient and increase their employability, as well as help them help their children in school.
Child Education
The child will continue to receive an excellent education from their GRPS elementary school. This education will be enhanced by the addition of their parent's involvement both at home and in the classroom.
Parent and Child Time Together (PACT)
The parent will spend 1-2 hours each week in their child's classroom for PACT time. During this time, the parent and child may read together, read to each other, or participate in other learning activities together. This is also a time for the parent to learn more about what the child is doing in class which will enable them to play a more active role in their child's learning. In addition to the classroom time together, the parents and children will also attend monthly family literacy events designed to encourage literacy activities in the home.
Parenting Discussion Time
The parents will meet once a week with the Family Literacy program director to discuss what they learned in their child's classroom and to learn about ways they can help their child and themselves be more successful in school.
The Schools of Hope Family Literacy Program will make a difference in the lives of families by increasing the capacity of parents to support their children, increase a child's chance of success in learning, and increase the capacity of parents to compete more effectively in the workplace. For more information, please call 616.459.5151.
To learn more about the Schools of Hope programs click here.
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