Training parents and volunteers in storytelling
Abstract
Storytelling can be enjoyable for children and adults, and can also promote a love of reading. The Experience Corps in Philadelphia partnered with a local library to train parents and volunteers in storytelling as a way to enrich the literacy experiences of children. Submitted by LEARNS, the Corporation's training and technical assistance provider for literacy issues.
Issue
Experience Corps in Philadelphia wanted to expand and enrich the literacy experiences for their students, volunteers, parents, and school sites.
Action
Experience Corps formed a partnership with the Free Library of Philadelphia. Once a month at 13 participating schools, the local librarian conducts storytelling workshops for the volunteers, parents, and children during a breakfast held during school. The parent breakfasts act as a bridge for parents to feel more welcome in the schools and for the library to provide information about their services to volunteers and families.
The librarian reads to the children while at the same time modeling to the parents and volunteers how to be good storytellers. Interested parents and volunteers also become part of Spellbinders, a national storytelling organization.
The parents and volunteers then use the storytelling techniques they have learned from the librarian to read stories to students at home and during tutoring sessions.
The volunteers are now ready to do the storytelling at the breakfasts, assuring the continuation of the storytelling program.
To encourage parents to participate, four reminders are sent out:
- A flier about the date
- An invitation written by the children during the time with the volunteers
- Another invitation put in the child's book bag
- A phone call from the volunteer the night before inviting and encouraging the parent/family member to attend
Context
Experience Corps is a national literacy program in which older adults tutor elementary school students in reading and writing skills. In Philadelphia, Experience Corps is a collaboration between the Center for Intergenerational Literacy and RSVP. Experience Corps teams consist of between six and 12 volunteers who work with students in kindergarten to third grade in 13 Philadelphia elementary schools. Each Corps member works intensively with four or five children from a single classroom.
Outcome
Additional programs have stemmed from this partnership. A grant was received by master librarians for Spellbinders, a national storytelling organization, to teach storytelling techniques to the volunteers. This will enable the volunteers to participate in storytelling in the schools. Lastly, computer training will be available for volunteers at the library to improve their computer skills for working with students. More ideas are being developed for future Experience Corps and Free Public Library collaborations.
Evidence
Parents, children, and volunteers are using the library more regularly, and more families and volunteers are getting library cards. Data from the schools indicate increased family involvement.
