Focus on Parents Pilot Report

Pilot Program Report

The PRINTS program was piloted by Kingston Literacy, a community-based literacy organization located in Kingston, Ontario. Kingston Literacy provides adult upgrading services in both one-to-one and small group environments. They began developing family literacy programs in 1989 to support the development of early literacy skills in children from homes where parents have low literacy skills. Forming partnerships with other agencies providing services to families and children is a cornerstone of their program delivery philosophy.

The pilot program was held in the agency’s Family Literacy Centre, which is located in Rideau Heights Public School, an elementary school in a high needs area of Kingston. Two other community programs operate out of the school. The parents participating in PRINTS also happened to be participating in other programs. Therefore, the PRINTS staff often crossed paths with the parents on days when the PRINTS group was not meeting. This provided informal occasions for connecting with the parents and reinforcing their participation.

Pilot Information

Fourteen two-hour sessions were held one morning a week between November and March. Eleven parents, all mothers, registered for the program. Fourteen children, ranging in age from four months to five years, participated in the children’s program. Five parents had older children attending the school where the pilot was held.

Although a children’s program is optional in the PRINTS model, it was important for this group. In the room next to the Family Literacy Centre, there is a preschool room belonging to another local organization. The pilot was able to use the preschool room without charge to provide childcare while the parents attended the program. Where possible, the children’s program reflected the content of the adult’s workshop. For example, while the parents discussed play and made puppets, the children might be playing with puppets in the room next door.

The PRINTS curriculum consists of twelve sessions, and suggests an additional session be offered to incorporate a discussion about different types of children’s books. Instead of holding an extra session, the pilot facilitator introduced a variety of books at each session, linking them wherever possible to the step being discussed. The facilitator’s manual also suggests having a one-week break between each of the five steps to give parents extra time to experiment with the activities at home with their children. However, they decided not to take the breaks between steps because of concern that parents would not want to make such a long commitment.

Program Practices

Each parent was given a large coloured folder at the beginning of the program, along with some craft supplies such as crayons, construction paper, glue sticks, and scissors. The parents decorated their folders at home with their children and used the supplies at home to experiment with the activities they learned in the program. Early on in the program, participants were also provided with binders to start a literacy portfolio. Each week, participants brought in pictures drawn and words written by their children to share with the group and put in their binders. At the beginning of each session, participants discussed books they had borrowed and activities they had tried out at home, along with general observations about their children’s learning experiences.

Evaluation Component of Program Model

The PRINTS facilitator’s handbook devotes a whole section to feedback and evaluation. A number of evaluation activities are provided, and facilitators are encouraged to use those that are appropriate for their group. At the beginning and end of each step, parents can complete a questionnaire about their beliefs about literacy. Because the pilot did not build in breaks between steps, the facilitator felt the questionnaire at the end of each step was a little premature in that parents had not yet had sufficient time to digest the learning of that step. She found that as the program progressed, the learnings for each step were extended and confirmed. Therefore, rather than having parents’ complete the questionnaires at the end of each step, she provided opportunities for them to give oral feedback. The handbook also provides a list of focus questions to use at the end of the program. In the final evaluation session, the facilitator asked selected questions and wrote down the participant’s verbal responses.

Program Goals

Program model goals:

Pilot program goals:

Outreach

The principal of Rideau Heights Public School invited Kingston Literacy to attend a staff meeting to tell teachers about the PRINTS program. Flyers were given to teachers for distribution and were posted around the building. Parents attending the playgroup operated by Better Beginnings for Kingston Children (also located in the school) were told about the PRINTS program. In addition, parents registering their three-year-olds for a School Readiness Program to be held in the school were given information about the pilot. The Early Literacy Specialist for Kingston and the Islands promoted PRINTS when she visited different groups. Parents who had attended Kingston Literacy’s programs in the past were also informed about the program.

Program Model Resources

The program resources are very detailed and organized. The methodical approach of the facilitator’s manual, video, and parent handbook made it easy for the facilitator to understand the material and begin to deliver the program. Because the curriculum is so detailed, the facilitator needed to decide how much the program could be modified and shaped while still retaining its essential features.

Beginning and Middle of Pilot

Challenges

A few extra parents were registered beyond the ideal group size to offset possible drop-outs. However, the group stayed fairly large and, as a result, space was tight. In a larger group, some people are quieter and in this program the discussion component is very important. The facilitator had to keep group dynamics in mind when planning and facilitating discussions and activities.

The facilitator had to balance the time she spent preparing the sessions with her other responsibilities. Each PRINTS session covers a lot of material. Between sessions, the facilitator had to familiarize herself with the overall plan and activities for the next session, organize or create materials, make photocopies from the parent’s handbook, and make modifications or adjustments to the session.

The PRINTS curriculum suggests many low-cost activities that parents can do at home using flyers and newspapers. However, in order to maintain the group’s interest, the facilitator felt it was important to use a greater variety of materials. Therefore, she modified some activities.

Highlights

A local bookstore donated individual books and sets of children’s books. In addition, both Kingston Literacy and the Early Literacy Specialist for the Kingston area have extensive collections of children’s books. A wide variety of children’s books were incorporated into the weekly plans and fit very well with the PRINTS model. Parents took home books for their children each week. Some books were given to the parents to keep, and some books were loaned. During each session, the facilitator read at least one children’s book to the group. Everyone enjoyed this aspect of the program. The PRINTS curriculum suggests that participants be given a book, toy, or game every week to take home for each of their children. The donated books helped to reduce the costs associated with this aspect of the program model.

Interaction among the participants is built into the structure of the model. Each session provided an opportunity for parents to discuss their experiences with their children at home. Parents learned a lot from each other.

Completion of Pilot

Challenges

The program model covers five core steps: books and book sharing; talk/oral language; play; environmental print; and scribbling, drawing, and writing. Each step is covered in two sessions. It was challenging to give the parents enough opportunity to share their comments and ideas and at the same time keep the discussions on track. The facilitator found two sessions for each step did not provide enough time. Therefore, two extra sessions were added to the program.

Highlights

Each year, Kingston Literacy and other local organizations celebrate National Family Literacy Day with displays and activities for families and children at the public library. This year, five of the parents from the PRINTS program attended the event.

The principal of the school where the pilot was held spoke to the group in the last session. She congratulated the parents on their participation in the program and talked about the school’s goals. This visit created a bridge from the family literacy program to the school and also established links between parents and school staff.

Participant Feedback

The participants seemed to enjoy the program and contributed lots of new ideas. They said the program affirmed that they were on the right track and that the things they were doing at home had a purpose in their children’s early literacy development. Parents commented that some of the information was especially valuable; for example, they learned that it is natural for young children to request the same book over and over, and that this repetition has value for their child’s development. One parent said she was reading to her children more, asking questions and pointing to the words and pictures in books. From the program, she learned what stages children go through and what they would be learning next. Parents reported their children loved the book that the parents made. If the program were to be offered again, participants felt the following features should be included:

Outcomes

Of the eleven parents who registered for the program, only one dropped out. Therefore, the completion rate was ninety-one percent. The average weekly attendance was eight participants. The attendance was excellent considering the program took place between November and February. Upon completion of the program, three parents decided to register for another family literacy program with Kingston Literacy (the Bookmaking Workshop). These three parents also indicated they would register for the parent upgrading program, which is held in another part of the city. The PRINTS program and the PRINTS facilitator served as an effective link to the adult upgrading program.

Facilitator’s Reflections and Evaluation

The PRINTS model is structured but at the same time there is room to shape and develop the program to meet the needs of the group. The facilitator found it to be an excellent learning experience, both for herself and for the parents and their children. Because the group was together for fourteen weeks, the parents became comfortable enough with the facilitator to ask questions about and register for other programs with Kingston Literacy. PRINTS complements the organization’s existing services and the facilitator would definitely be interested in running the program again.