FAMILY+LITERACY

= = = = Family Literacy Programs. LVCC's Family Literacy Program includes two components: **Children and Parents Reading Together (CPRT), **and **Families Learning English classes. ** In the CPRT program, parents and Head Start, pre-kindergarden, four year old children are brought together with tutors at 15 Collier County Public Schools for twice weekly, eight-week long sessions held in each school three times a year. After each class, the child takes home a book that was the focus of the class. By the end of the eight weeks, each child has their own small library of 8 books. Read more about this program at: **__ Family Literacy. __**

Overall these components have become one of LVCC's most popular programs. As a result, plans are underway to expand the program to serve up to ten schools in the fall of 2016, and the beginning of 2017.

While the need to teach literacy skills to adults is still the main thrust of LVCC, the need to serve the entire family has become more evident in recent years. Consequently, LVCC recently refocused its mission: //**To enhance the lives of our students and their families by improving their literacy skills**. // Hence, Children and Parents Reading Together evolved as part of our Family Literacy Program.

The Family Literacy Program began in 2011 with one class at Parkside Elementary, a Head Start Pre-K school. Since then, it has grown to six classes at four schools: Parkside, Golden Gate, Avalon, and Lely Elementary school. There are also three "moms" classes at Parkside.

Typically, one or two six-week sessions are held in each Head Start school. Teachers encourage parents and Pre-K four year old students to participate in the program, and many take advantage of the opportunity. Volunteer tutors go to the school and meet twice a week with the parents or guardians of the children for a half hour to an hour prior to classes being dismissed. The volunteer tutors talk with the parents, and together they read a small children's book. Then the children are dismissed from class to join the group and with the tutor's assistance, they read the book for that day together. Next, the group enjoys an activitiy related to the book to reinforce what was learned. At the end of the class, each child is given the book to take home. By the end of the six-week session, each child has accumulated his or her own small library of 12 books.

Since English is not the first language for 14% of our Collier County students (6,300), this program is critical. At Parkside Elementary, over 85% of the students go to a home where __no__ English is spoken. Family Literacy not only supplements and reinforces what the child is learning in class, but it also educates the parent and promotes parent engagement in their children's education.

For more information about the Children and Parents Reading Together Program, or learn how you can become a volunteer, contact Literacy Volunteers of Collier County at (239) 262-4448, or stop in at 8833 Tamiami Trail East, Naples, FL 34113 (Lely Plaza). To sponsor a child or class, go to our [|web site] and select the "donate" button.