Parents Participating in Record Numbers!

          What would you say if someone told you about a parent involvement program that had 60% of a school’s parents participating the first year of implementation…and as many as 85% in grades Pre K through 3^rd in the following two years?  No doubt this would be of interest to any school system.  This occurred in a rural Virginia tidewater community near the Chesapeake Bay.

 Northumberland Elementary School parents are participating in Read Aloud International, a program that encourages and rewards participants for reading aloud nightly to their children every day (every child 20 minutes every day).  They are encouraged to read two or three years beyond the child’s age (or reading level), so children can be exposed to more complex language, sentence structure, and more difficult content area, than can be read independently by the child.  Parents initial a calendar nightly after reading aloud.  Each child is asked to hand in one book report each month on a simple book report form, which parent and child complete together.

Northumberland’s School Superintendent, Clint Stables, Ed.D, started out as an assistant principal at their middle school twenty-two years ago and has worked his way to the top. "I'm 100 % behind our read aloud program and believe that parental involvement is key. When the parents read aloud and the children listen, it builds a solid foundation for literacy skills as well as a stronger relationship at home. You should hear some of the positive feedback I hear from the community and our School Board. Reading scores are increasing and this program is a big factor."

One of the most exciting RAI activities conducted at Northumberland Elementary School this past year, was an “ALL SCHOOL LISTENS” event.  The designated book was Because of Winn Dixie by Kate DeCamilla.  This is a charming story about a girl and her dog, but more importantly about losses, love and survival.  Each family wishing to participate purchased a copy of the book and some paid additional money to purchase scholarship books for families unable to do so.  Chapters were assigned each night and soon EVERYONE wanted the book!  Read aloud coordinator, Mrs. Jan Bates, said over 600 books was distributed (and the school population is only 680)!  Soon custodians, school secretaries, special area teachers, paraprofessional aides, cafeteria workers and even members of the County Board of Supervisors ALL wanted a copy of the book.  Daily trivia questions on the school morning show heightened interest, and NO ONE wanted to be left out!  At a Spring Parent Information Night, many parents commented on how delightful this nightly reading became.  Parents requested suggestions for other chapter books their families might enjoy as well.  Already parents and children are asking what the book for next year will be, reports Mrs. Bates.

How did this parent program called Read Aloud International  program impact the school.  Besides a general boost to the joy of reading, one could speculate that children’s listening literacy was affected positively.  One possible example of this would be in 3^rd grade.  All 3^rd grades ended the year with 100% of these 3^rd grade parents reading nightly to their children.  Coincidentally, the state achievement scores for 3^rd grade showed marked improvement this year.  On the Va. State Standards of Learning Exam, 3^rd graders scored 90% or better on 4 of the 5 categories.  While this is due to a number of factors, we feel that their success with RAV had to have impacted their overall academic success.

One of the reasons RAI Affiliate program works at Northumberland Elementary School (chosen Read Aloud Va. School of the Year 2005-2006) is due to a partnership with the Northumberland Woman’s Club.  Volunteer club members help the RAV coordinator tally each classes monthly percentages and also read to children when a teachers asks for their assistance in reaching a classroom goal of 100% participation.  They also support all special events both monetarily and with service as needed at these functions.

It truly does take a community effort to impact family literacy.  Read Aloud International has thrust us toward realizing our literacy goals for ALL families in our county, where illiteracy has been generational. We are grateful that is changing.

 If you or your school is interested in becoming a part of a nextwork of read aloud affiliated schools, please check out the Read Aloud International website readaloudinternational.org.  It is free for the first year and you can participate in conference calls with veteran read aloud school leaders like Jan Bates.