STAIR Family Reading Events 2009-10

The STAIR program benefits both the child and the family. As part of its continuing effort to involve families, STAIR is working with the schools and several local community partners to provide meaningful and entertaining literacy activities for STAIR children and their families.

Family Reading Events at Schools:  STAIR worked with a number of its participating elementary schools to help them plan and implement Family Literacy Nights during the 2008-09 school year.  Events included: “Breakfast and Books” at Dibert Elementary School, “Polar Express Night” at Esperanza Charter School, “Holiday Read-in” A. C. Alexander School, and Family Literacy Night at Nelson UNO Charter School.

During the 2009-2010 school year, STAIR will continue working with the New Orleans Kids Partnership and other agencies to provide wrap-around literacy services to Dibert Elementary School students and their families. 

STAIR also received a grant from the Prime Time Family Reading Time program sponsored by the Louisiana Endowment for the Humanities, Target Corporation and the New Orleans Kids Partnership.  For six Tuesday nights (Jan. 27-March 10, 2009), STAIR coordinated the six-week Prime Time program of reading, discussion, and storytelling for children and family members from Dibert Elementary School and other schools served by STAIR in the New Orleans community.  A discussion leader and storyteller conducted weekly book discussions and storytelling programs for children ages 6 to 10 and their parents. Pre-reading activities are also provided for younger siblings.  The event also includes a healthy dinner and free books for families to take home.  STAIR will conduct the Prime Time program in a bi-lingual version at Esperanza Charter School in October and November, 2009.

Musical Literacy Programs:  Research has shown that children exposed to music learn more at school.  So STAIR children, family members and tutors are getting “jazzed up” and turned on to both reading and New Orleans music during these hour-long sessions featuring two members of the Soul Rebels Brass Band.  This program, funded by the New Orleans Musicians Clinic, was featured at 13 STAIR sites during the 2008-09 school year.   This program will be offered to STAIR sites once again during the 2009-2010 school year.

Reading to Rover:  This program, where STAIR children (accompanied by family members and tutors) read to trained dogs and their handlers, is sponsored by the New Orleans Visiting Pet Program.  Reading to Rover visited all of STAIR’s Saturday morning sites during the 2008-2009 school year with more visits planned for 2009-2010.