Literacy Newfoundland and Labrador

Project Name: Read, Play, and Learn – Daybreak Parent Child Centre

Project Start/End Dates: September 17th – November 24th, 2010

Initial Project Description: Read, Play and Learn is a literacy and play-based curriculum for children 3-6 years of age developed by Professor Toni Linder of the University Of Denver, Colorado. Through the use of stories and activities centered around themes that relate to children’s own lives, emergent literacy skills are taught while promoting children’s growth in the areas of cognitive, sensor motor, communication, language and social development. The program also recognises the importance of family involvement in a child’s education and seeks ways to support and encourage positive relationships, thereby increasing learning opportunities for parent and child.

The program will be delivered over an 8 week period.

The objectives of Read, Play and Learn are to:

  • Recognize the importance of the family involvement in a child’s education
  • Further develop the child’s reading, writing, speaking, listening, math and science skills

Project Outcomes: The program took place over an eight week period, where the children met for three hours a day, two days a week, along with one house visit. Eight children participated in the program, with all showing improvement in the areas addressed.

The program focused on: phonological awareness activities (i.e. rhyming cards/matching, read/sang nursery rhymes, using musical instruments); concepts about print (showing the correct way to hold a book, where to start reading, and looking at the front and back covers of the book); and the alphabetic principle (finding letters of the alphabet on the ABC chart, practice writing their names each day, alphabet bingo, etc.).

Meetings with parents took place in the home or at the Centre to establish an understanding of the program and review the Parent’s Handbook, and to provide a schedule for the program and bus. Contact with parents was maintained through phone calls, newsletters, and through informal opportunities such as drop off/pick up times. Parents were provided handouts on models of printing, talking with their child and the importance of reading with their child. Parents completed a survey, ’Things we do at home’ to help staff get to know them better, and completed a home reading record as the program developed.

The children became more confident in their abilities, were able to sit for longer periods of time, and adjusted well to a routine. Their capacity to recall information and communicate in full sentences at the end of the program had increased.

Parents noted a number of individual improvements:

  • “ ____ is blossoming in other areas; is participating in other groups and doesn’t kick up a stink anymore”
  • “ He was listening carefully and asking many questions.”
  • “ ____ knew all the shapes; good at matching. ____ did great, loved it.”

Developed and hosted by NALD in collaboration with Literacy Newfoundland and Labrador.

This project is funded by the Government of Canada’s Office of Literacy and Essential Skills.