EDUC 6990 CAPSTONE: PRACTICAL
APPLICATION IN THE EARLY CHILDHOOD FIELD
One federal organization I
researched was the U.S. Department of Education. Their Innovative Approaches to
Literacy Program (IAL) is one I was drawn to because of their goal to offer
literacy programs to high need communities. Within my challenge, I intend on
offering some similar resources to families at Flat Shoals Elementary. Flat
Shoals Elementary is a school that has a high population of students from low
socioeconomic areas. The IAL also seeks to replace learning material with up-to
date resources for communities that would not have access otherwise (Graham,
2018). Within my community of practice,
my intention is not to replace the current materials; my intention is to
educate parents on how to use them with their child. The IAL also desires to
prepare students to compete not just locally within the U.S., but also
globally. There is a job opportunity available to work as a Human Resources
Specialist. In order to qualify for the position, you must be either a former
or present federal employee.
ProLiteracy
is a non- profit organization that advocates for literacy to break the poverty
cycle from parent to child. My community of practice shares the desire to offer
the home environment conducive for learning. ProLiteracy determined
approximately thirty- six million Americans have difficulty with basic reading
and writing (“What”, n.d.). Considering that I know home literacy impacts
students before they ever reach elementary school, I realized my challenge
would also be to educate parents. Although most of my students' parents can
read and write sufficiently, some basic skills may be the difference in how
successful the student is in the future. Pro Literacy also provides customized
resources that are innovative and fun for students of all ages, including adults.
With ProLiteracy, you can apply to be an advocate for adult literacy that urges
politicians and officials make steps of action to address the deficit. There
are not any major requirements to become an advocate other than applying.
For
hesitant or uncomfortable early readers, motivation to read or even see value
in it may be a discouraging obstacle for some students. My community of
practice will support students, teachers, and families. It will also use
strategies to make reading fun for students who have difficulty reading. Books
for Kids organizes literacy opportunities with young children under the age of
five. The literacy events Books for Kids facilitates include fun reading
activities that encourage engagement from the young listeners. Books for Kids
also host a Story Time Program which includes parents/ guardians in the
activities engaging with early learners (“Books”, n.d.). The Story Time would
be an excellent resource to share with my community of practice. Story Time
uses puppet shows, arts and crafts, and group reading activities that engage
students that could be helpful for the teachers included in my community of
practice. Books for Kids has an overall mission that addresses low income
students that are preschool aged (“Books”, n.d.). Although there are not any
job opportunities listed, Books for Kids does take donations to assist in their
mission.
Resources
Books For Kids » Literacy Programs. (n.d.). Retrieved July
25, 2019, from https://www.booksforkids.org/programs/literacy-programs/
Graham, M. (2018, August 07). Innovative Approaches to
Literacy. Retrieved from https://www2.ed.gov/programs/innovapproaches-literacy/index.html
What We Do. (n.d.). Retrieved July 25, 2019, from
https://proliteracy.org/What-We-Do/Overview
