For this module, I observed a family of a young lady whom is in the Pre-k classroom. She is a very smart young lady and on her way to becoming a very successful kindergartner as well as in her years to come. I observed the energy and spunk that this child has when it comes to learning and understanding the things around her. As her teacher was teaching, she was fully attentive to what she had to say. She raised her hand and asked questions and they were legitimate questions. What really got me was when the teacher was going over sight word and how fast this child was saying the words and raising her hand to answer the question of what does this mean. it is so important that children are able to learn word and to know and understand their meaning. When we give children words and don't give them the rest of the tools they need to use the words correctly along with the meaning, it serves as no purpose to them because they are just words stored in their memory bank. To often I have found that my own children have been taught words but not the meaning and in learning literacy, it is important to know how and when to use words as well as the meaning of them.

when the child was picked up, I asked her mother if she did a lot of reading at home and she stated that she tries to read everything. I expressed to her how great that was because it was helping her to build her literacy skills as well as allow her to become comfortable and use to reading. I asked the mom what she thought about literacy skills being used in taught in the early years of life and she stated that it is very important that children learn to read, write, and understand the language in which they speak. She felt that the more books and words that children learn and understand will help them become better readers as they grow and to be successful in school.

I have learned that there are some parents that believe that literacy skills are important and not afraid to go beyond the knowledge of pre-school to help their child to learn. I have learned that there are some parents that think as I do and understand the importance of literacy in the early years.

observation of director

For this assignment, I observed the director of The Children's House Park Forest.Shed has been a director at this center for ten years now and believes that every thing she does is for the children that she cares for in her center. she has her BA in child development and is currently in school to continue her education.

I talked to her about literacy and the importance of literacy for young children. Because she has five children of her own, she believes that literacy is very important to all children and needs to be address with every student and parent. Because she is one to create activities that involve parent involvement, she has every teacher to create homework packages that they children take home and complete with their parent. The packages are not thick but must have at least four pages one for each day. It is filled will reading assignment, recognition of letters and numbers and story for the children to enjoy. The parents have been very cooperative and make sure that they bring the assignments completed and brought back on Friday. If a child doesn't have their folder upon pick-up on Monday, the parent asks before leaving the building.

Because so many funds have been cut for childcare, the school doesn't have all the books that she wants in the classroom so she goes out and purchase them from library sales and other places. She also set up contacts to have two book fairs a year at the center for parents and teacher to purchase books to read in the classrooms, and at home with their children.

I think that reading and language is very important because it is something that we all use throughout our lives not just in school. It is important that the children of our future have the chance at the literacy skills they need and the help that they need to develop it.