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"In each of the stories I saw my life. I have lost the fear of reading to my children in English." ~ Motheread® Participant |
Studies have shown that one of the best predictors of a child’s success in school is whether that child is read to at home. Yet many parents do not have the literacy skills to read to their children and incorporate books into their family life. Motheread/Fatheread® Arizona is the Arizona affiliate of a national family literacy organization aimed at breaking the cycle of illiteracy by helping parents read to their children, increasing literacy skills and strengthening family bonds simultaneously.
Founded in North Carolina in 1987, Motheread® teaches parents reading, writing, speaking, and listening skills, and emphasizes the value of these skills in family and community relationships. All over our state, small groups of parents are meeting with trained facilitators to read and talk about exceptional children’s literature. They discuss and analyze themes, characters, and points of view, and practice methods of reading and storytelling with children. They read key passages of adult literature and engage in writing assignments. They then take the children’s books home to read with their children, and to begin building family libraries, creating families and communities that read.
In the intensive Training Institute, instructors from the national staff familiarize prospective facilitators from partner agencies with the Motheread® philosophy, curriculum, and implementation model, which the newly certified facilitators take back to their organizations and communities. AHC provides scholarships for discussion facilitator training, and the first series of children’s books for parents to keep. Motheread/Fatheread® Arizona currently operates in elementary schools, Even Starts, Head Starts, adult basic education programs, community colleges, community centers, libraries, literacy organizations, correctional facilities, and social service agencies. AHC currently provides resources to more than 40 Motheread/Fatheread® Arizona sites throughout the state.
To find out more about this award-winning program, or if your organization would like to become a Motheread/Fatheread® Arizona partner with AHC, call 602/257-0335 X26, or e-mail at enunn@azhumanities.org.
