A Path to Follow

by Edwards, Patricia A.

• ISBN13: 9780325001524
• ISBN10: 0325001529
• Format: Paperback
• Copyright: 1999-03-08
• Publisher: Heinemann

Summary

The diverse and difficult needs of today's children far outstrip the ability of any one institution to meet them. Yet one of the richest resources for understanding a child's early learning experiencesparentsis quite often the most frequently overlooked. A Path to Follow suggests that parent "stories" can be a highly effective, collaborative tool for accessing knowledge that may not be obvious, but would obviously be of benefit.

Author Biography

PATRICIA EDWARDS is a Professor of Language and Literacy and a Senior Researcher at the National Center for the Improvement of Early Reading Achievement at Michigan State University. She holds a Doctorate in Reading Education from the University of Wisconsin-Madison and is the author to nationally acclaimed family literacy programs: Parents as Partners in Reading: A Family Literacy Training Program and Talking Your Way to Literacy: A Program to Help Nonreading Parents Prepare Their Children for Reading (on video). She is currently a member of the Board of Directors of the International Reading Association and has participated in the UNESCO World Symposium on Family Literacy as one of 50 researchers contributing to the development of world policy on family literacy. Dr. Edwards has served as an advisor to the First National Goal "Readiness for School," and the Michigan State University Institute for Families, Youth, and Children. Numerous foundations and

Table of Contents

Acknowledgments	xi
Foreword	xiii
Introduction	xv
What Are Parent Stories?	xvii
Why Is It Necessary to Learn about the ``Human Side'' of Families and Children?	xviii
Research Support for Using Parent Stories to Understand and Involve Families	xx
The Importance of Listening to Parent Stories	xxiii
Possible Audiences and Uses for the Book	xxv
Final Comments in Support of Parent Stories	xxvii
References	xxvii
Mapping the Terrain	1	(16)
Looking at the Policy and Research	3	(3)
Researchers' Insights about Parents' Home Literacy Environments	6	(7)
A Path to Follow: Using Parent Stories as a Guide	13	(1)
References	14	(3)
At-Risk Students and Parental Involvement	17	(8)
The Bottom Line	17	(1)
Time and Opportunity	17	(1)
Expectations	18	(2)
Problem Situations Make Difficult Conversations	20	(1)
Sound Familiar?	21	(3)
A Final, Very Important Thought	24	(1)
Collecting Parent Stories	25	(16)
Continuing to Build Our Case for Collecting Parent Stories	25	(2)
A Framework for Asking Better Questions	27	(1)
Getting Started	28	(1)
Getting Focused	29	(2)
Choosing Who to Talk To	31	(5)
You're Almost Ready ...	36	(1)
Description of the Edwards--Pleasants Parent Stories Questionnaire	36	(4)
What to Do with What You've Collected	40	(1)
References	40	(1)
Making Sense of Parent Stories	41	(20)
The First Landmark: Writing Yourself a Memo	41	(1)
Parent Story: Angela and Timothy Sheffland	42	(5)
Worksheet One: Writing Yourself a practice Memo	47	(2)
Worksheet Two: Writing Your Own Memo	49	(1)
The Second Landmark: Brainstorming Instructional Ideas	50	(1)
Parent Story: Helen and Jason Harrison	51	(5)
Getting Ready to Brainstorm Instructional Ideas	56	(1)
Bringing It All Together: Constructing Plans and Activities	57	(2)
Conclusion	59	(2)
Implications of Parent Stories	61	(14)
Opening the Lines of Communication: Addressing Concerns	61	(1)
How Teachers Can Seek Help and Referrals Outside the School by Creatin Resource File	62	(1)
Gathering Information on Families	63	(3)
Observations	63	(1)
Parent Stories	64	(1)
Gathering Information on Resources	64	(1)
Recording Resources Known and Unknown to you	64	(1)
Assembly and Distribution to the File	65	(1)
Assembling the Resource File and Distributing the Information	65	(1)
A Sample from Our Own Parent Stories: Using Community Resources to Provide Information on Services to the Howard Family	66	(1)
Parent Story: Mattie and Damon Howard	66	(7)
Concluding Comments: Trying Parent Stories and Creating the Resource on Your Own	73	(2)
Epilogue---Joining Hands on the Path	75