School of Education Hosts Dr. Seuss Literacy Event
Staten Island Campus Promotes Literacy Development
April 13, 2011
Staten Island Campus, April 13, 2011 -
Alpha Beta Gamma hosts Dr. Seuss
Read-A-Loud Pajama Party
On Friday, April 1, 2011, the Alpha Beta Gamma
Chapter of Kappa Delta Pi Education Society hosted a Dr. Seuss
literacy event inspired by its moderator, Dr. Regina Mistretta, on
the Staten Island campus. To cultivate meaningful parental
engagement in the literacy development of pre-kindergarten and
kindergarten children, a Dr. Seuss Read-A-Loud Pajama Party served
thirty-five families from eight elementary schools. While
children engaged in small reading groups involving Dr. Seuss
stories and related activities facilitated by KDP members, parents
participated in a session facilitated by two reading specialists
concerning ways to productively support literacy development.
The children ranged in ages from three to five,
from various elementary schools around Staten Island. As
stated by Dr. Mistretta, “A major goal of this event was to enhance
parental understanding of current literacy standards, while
developing their skills for supporting early childhood students’
literacy development. Additionally, KDP members gained
practical experiences in collaboration with both the parents and
early childhood students.”
The event was a huge success, with faculty and
KDP members fully embracing the Dr. Seuss characters to enhance the
students’ enjoyment of learning. Surveys revealed that
parents had a heightened awareness of the value in reading with
their children daily, even for twenty minutes. Also, they
realized the necessity of patience, positive reinforcement,
routines, and library cards, all while gaining skills about how to
support literacy development through a variety of techniques and
website resources. The children were pleased with the
learning environment, due to the inclusion of enjoyable stories,
activities involving drawing and talking, and a place where they
could wear pajamas, bring pillows, and have a fun time
reading.
Kappa Delta Pi members noted a variety of
different observations. One was the need for parental
engagement, as well as the importance of their role as agents of
change. Furthermore, they noted how the children brought to
the table different learning styles, which supports that
differentiated instruction is essential to maximize learning for
all. Crafting lessons that match the types of attention spans
of young children is also a key factor. The event was so
successful that Alpha Beta Gamma plans to continue it in the
future.
Photo Gallery
For more information about this event and the School of Education
on the Staten Island Campus, please contact:
Rosette Allegretti, Ed.D.
School of Education
Assistant to the Dean
718-390-4130
allegrer@stjohns.edu