Family fun reading night: making it happen. (Classroom Idea-Sparkers).In an effort to encourage families to become involved in student learning, our school developed the idea of a family fun reading night. The program evolved from a once-a-month activity to a weekly program. Family Fun Reading Night offers opportunities for families to read with their children and participate in a variety of activities, interact with the teacher on how to assist their children with learning experiences, and work collaboratively with school personnel as partners in education. Getting Started.... You will need to arrange for: * Planning Committee--consisting of school personnel, parents, community partners, and students, who will all coordinate the overall Family Fun Reading Night program * Entertainment--provided through voluntary assistance from teachers, other school personnel, parents, students * Refreshments--donated by local businesses, community groups, PTAs * Door Prizes--donated by community businesses, teachers, teacher stores, publishing companies, PTAs, community libraries * Warm-up warm-up pre-race exercise by a horse. Activities--designed to keep people occupied while waiting for the event to start. Activities could include word searches, map mysteries, world almanac almanac, originally, a calendar with notations of astronomical and other data. Almanacs have been known in simple form almost since the invention of writing, for they served to record religious feasts, seasonal changes, and the like. activities, and technology activities * Advertisements--placed in newsletters sent home, in local newspapers, in press releases after the event (a volunteer photographer could take pictures) * Other Committees Keep It Going.... You will need to: * Continue recruiting a pool of volunteers and program supporters This article is about supporters in heraldry. For the use in British English meaning supporting sports teams, see fan (person). In heraldry, supporters are figures usually placed on either side of the shield and depicted holding it up. * Obtain a variety of materials and resources On special occasions, such as National Library Week or the first Family Fun Reading Night of each school year, you may want to plan and implement a highly motivating night focused on a specific theme. With a carnival carnival, communal celebration, especially the religious celebration in Catholic countries that takes place just before Lent. Since early times carnivals have been accompanied by parades, masquerades, pageants, and other forms of revelry that had their origins in of activities, you could generate much enthusiasm and interest. Participants may enjoy dressing like a clown clown, a comic character usually distinguished by garish makeup and costume whose antics are both humorously clumsy and acrobatic. The clown employs a broad, physical style of humor that is wordless or not as self-consciously verbal as the traditional fool or jester. , for example, while the setting could include props prop 1 n. 1. An object placed beneath or against a structure to keep it from falling or shaking; a support. 2. One that serves as a means of support or assistance. tr.v. associated with a carnival. The following examples of useful Family Fun Reading Night materials and publicity ideas may help you organize your family night program. Have fun and make it happen! Family Fun Reading Night Activity Gems * Grand Conversations * Puppet Magic * Readers' Theater * Literacy Bingo * Book Talks * Music Makers * Book Parties * Literacy Quilting * Social Studies Brainstorming * Hands-on Math * Games and Puzzles * Creative Recipes * Pattern Poetry * Crossword Puzzles * Create a Reading Sculpture for the School * Poetry in Motion * Shared Reading * Make It, Take It * Literacy Circles * Celebrating Science * Mapping and Webbing * Arts and Crafts * Internet Explorations * Musical Sing-alongs * Author's Chair * Character Trait Posters * Treasure Hunts * Silent Auctions Additional Ideas To Consider * Create a Family Resource Center in school where families and volunteers can prepare materials, build a lending library lend·ing library n. A library from which books may be borrowed or rented for a minimal fee. Also called circulating library. Noun 1. , and meet and read at different times during the school day. * Make sure there are ample volunteers to plan, organize, and implement each activity. * Encourage the participation of parents, members of the community, local businesses, school personnel, and students. * Use networking skills in obtaining needed and varied materials and resources for each activity in advance. * Make attractive signs to identify and advertise specific activities. Place the signs in appropriate places where they can be seen easily (outside of classrooms, in the library and multipurpose mul·ti·pur·pose adj. Designed or used for several purposes: a multipurpose room; multipurpose software. multipurpose Adjective rooms, etc.). Do not forget to place flyers and other advertisement ADVERTISEMENT. A 'notice' published either in handbills or in a newspaper. 2. The law in many instances requires parties to advertise in order to give notice of acts which are to be done; in these cases, the advertisement is in general equivalent to notice. posters in the community. * Be time-conscious; start and end activities promptly. * Obtain ideal meeting times and places from the committees. Make sure all volunteers are properly informed. * Keep the address and phone number for each volunteer on file. * Elicit e·lic·it tr.v. e·lic·it·ed, e·lic·it·ing, e·lic·its 1. a. To bring or draw out (something latent); educe. b. To arrive at (a truth, for example) by logic. 2. and obtain feedback relative to activities desired, their success, and recommendations for future activities. * High-interest Adj. 1. high-interest - (used of loans) charging a relatively large percentage of the amount borrowed low-interest - (used of loans) charging a relatively small percentage of the amount borrowed activities should be planned around the participants. * Spread the word about this innovative program throughout the community. * Provide a special prize for the participant who brings the most people to Family Fun Reading Night. Think of varied incentives for future nights. * Think of ideas to showcase A showcase, or vitrine, is a glassed-in cabinet or case for displaying delicate or valuable articles such as objects d'art or merchandise in a shop, museum, or house. Family Fun Reading Night outcomes and products and how these can be shared. * Plan varied activities to meet the literacy needs of second-language learners and readers with special needs. Family Fun Reading Night: Sample Publicity Advertisement FIRST FAMILY FUN READING NIGHT NAME OF SCHOOL -- DATE -- TIME -- For All Parents, Students, School Personnel, and Interested Community Members Come and learn about the Family Fun Reading Night program Enjoy participating in reading activities with school, family, and community partners Door prizes and refreshments will be provided Please return this portion to your teacher. We look forward to your partnership. I/we will attend and participate in Family Fun Reading Night. Student: -- Family Member(s): -- Community Partner(s): -- Other(s): -- Signed: -- Call for Idea-Sparkers Do you have a great idea that you would like to share? Do you know a colleague who has a great idea? Please share the exciting things that are happening in your classroom. Photos and illustrations are welcome. Please include your name, address, where you have used this idea. and a description of the activity. Send your Idea-Sparkers to: Rose Merenda 758 Negansett Avenue Warwick, RI 0Z888 Tamara TAMARA There Are Many and Real Alternatives Teaff, Media Specialist, Eagle Rock Elementary School elementary school: see school. , Botetourt County Schools, Ben Castle, Virginia Virginia, state, United States Virginia, state of the south-central United States. It is bordered by the Atlantic Ocean (E), North Carolina and Tennessee (S), Kentucky and West Virginia (W), and Maryland and the District of Columbia (N and NE). . |
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