Family Literacy Initiative

Second in a Series:
EMWP Professional Development Workshops -
The Family Literacy Initiative

Kim Pavlock

On Saturday, February 16, a number of us involved in EMWP's Family Literacy Initiative (FLI) will get together to not only talk about how the FLI has developed over the past eighteen months, but also to plan for future outreach possibilities.

TC's new to the Family Literacy Initiative will have an opportunity to review our already created workshop materials and receive training on presenting the workshops that we offer. TC's already involved in the FLI will have workshop time to either work on an outreach project of their own or help us develop new workshops for parents of K-2 students and for parents of high school students preparing for the MEAP’s, SAT’s, ACT’s. We would also like to develop a workshop for parents who want to learn more about how to support their middle or high school reader.

This year, we have had a number of requests for parent and family workshops from elementary schools in the Ann Arbor area. An elementary school in Ypsilanti contacted me yesterday to schedule a Family Writing Workshop. The Cesar Chavez Academy in Detroit has requested five workshops for this spring. A charter school in Grand Rapids has invited us to lead a writing workshop for their families. Whew! This is such an exciting time to be involved in sharing best practice in the teaching of writing with parents! How would you like to help us present and facilitate these workshops at a school or library near you? If you don't feel ready to present, how would you like to join us to learn more about the FLI and to work on a parent outreach project of your own?

Please let us know if you can join us on February 16 at the new EMU Student Center, room 104, from 9:30 a.m. to noon. We hope to see you then!

Best,
Kim Pavlock and Cathy Fleischer.