Family Empowerment Day focuses on literacy

HARTSVILLE - Darlington County First Steps held its first-ever Family Empowerment Day for parents of preschool children and expecting parents at Coker College in Hartsville Friday.

“We’re trying to engage parents because they’re the first primary educators of their children. If we can get the parents excited, then we know we’ll get their children,” Executive Director of Darlington County First Steps Darnell Byrd-McPherson said.

The Early Reading First event exceeded expectations as 76 parents attended, some with small children in tow. The program encouraged social, emotional and intellectual development in young children. Parents were provided with literacy information, library card sign-up, free books, food and fun as well as information on Coker College.

Participants were also introduced to the Motheread and Fatheread programs that work to improve the literacy skills of adults and children.

“Hopefully, we’re going to empower them to read to their children,” McPherson said.

First Steps targets children ages 0-5. She noted that children can hear 10 weeks before they’re born.

“Getting ready for school starts before they’re out of the womb,” Facilitator Michele Wheeler said.

Facilitators also explained to parents the importance of music and the importance of conversation to the development of children’s reading skills and gave tips on reading aloud to children.

“There are lots of things children are learning through music,” Wheeler said. “It introduces them to new words and the meaning of those words.”

Wheeler added that music helps sharpen a child’s memory, nurtures their imagination and creativity and teaches children new words and the function of those words.

Facilitator Gwen Hinton gave parents specific techniques for reading aloud to make books come alive such as using a different tone for reading than the one used to give a child directions. Reading aloud develops a child’s listening and comprehension skills as well as how to sit and listen to adults.

“Books should be read with purpose,” Hinton said.

Make keywords sound like their meaning to teach children meaning without giving them a definition, she said. Use a tough voice as you read the word “tough” or a soft tone when you read “tiptoe.”

Hinton suggested starting each book by stating its author, illustrator and title and incorporating a child’s reaction into the story’s flow. She also encouraged parents to ask children open-ended questions, which have no right or wrong answers.

“You want to encourage them to enjoy books,” Hinton said. “If you start reading to them and ask them open ended questions, they’ll do better on (standardized) tests.”

“At the end of the story, ask them what they thought of the story,” she said. Hinton added that parents can read to children anywhere, standing in line or in a waiting room at a doctor’s office.

Wheeler noted that reading to a child doesn’t have to happen with a book alone.

“One of the great things you can do without having to buy anything is to point out environmental print,” she said.

There are ample opportunities to introduce children to environmental print like letters, words, signs, numbers, posters, billboards and buildings while driving in the car, walking through the neighborhood or shopping at the grocery store. Labels on canned goods can be used as a teaching tool before you throw them away, while you’re cooking or during meals. Closed captioning on television can also connect the spoken and written word.

“You are teaching children the importance of print and the importance of being able to read and that all of that has a purpose,” Wheeler said.

Having conversations with your child, even thinking aloud, expands a child’s language skills and can show children how to do things.

“Books are a wonderful tool to help children understand the world,” Wheeler said. “The child with the most words wins.”

Info: www.scfirststeps.org

THE MESSENGER/LISA CHALIAN-ROCK
Michael Jones, 2, draws to music during Family Empowerment Day at Coker College on Friday.