CONTACT: Clara Mae Marcotte

512-593-4143

FAMILIES READING AND WRITING TOGETHER

PROJECT BEGINS AT HARREL ELEMENTARY SCHOOL

KINGSVILLE (October 27, 1998) -- The first session of Families Reading and Writing Together, a family involvement project sponsored by the King Ranch Family Trust Early Education Center at Texas A&M University-Kingsville and Kingsville Independent School District, began on Oct. 16 at Harrel Elementary School cafeteria with a group of parents and their kindergarten age students.

Texas A&M-Kingsville's Dr. Shirley Ermis, assistant professor in reading education, and Dr. Deanna Nekovei, coordinator of the King Ranch Family Trust Early Education Center, presented strategies for reading aloud to kindergarten age students. Clifford's Birthday Party by Norman Bridwell was read to the children in order to model for the parents the use of prediction and retelling as a means of increasing reading skills. Parents also were provided with a brief overview of extending the read-aloud by writing from pictures. Since it was Clifford's birthday, cake, punch and balloons (donated by Norwest Bank) were given to the participants.

"This is a literacy project that focuses on family and classroom reading and writing activities," said Edna Figueroa, principal of Harrel Elementary School. "It prepares children for successfully meeting the academic demands of first grade and hopefully begins to instill in the children a life long love of reading."

Maria Estela Garcia, Title 1 parental involvement facilitator for K.I.S.D., and her staff provided child care for siblings of the kindergartners and arranged for free transportation from the Brown Villa housing project with Cele Quesada, director of the Kingsville housing authority.

Epiphany Episcopal School, also part of the Families Reading and Writing Together project, will have a session Friday Oct. 30 from 1:30-3 p.m. For more information on the project, contact Nekovei at 512-593-2845.

-TAMUK-