RIF and Suquamish Head Start
I grew up seeing Reading is Fundamental (RIF) public service announcements on television. I had come to believe that after not having seen any reference to RIF on television for years, that it no longer existed. I was pleased to find that it is alive and well and donating and selling discount books to programs like Head Start. At my daughter's Head Start in Suquamish, Washington we were allowed over the two years we were there (2004-2006), to choose many RIF books to keep as our own and to attend many RIF and Suquamish Tribe sponsored Family Reading Banquet Nights. I felt so strongly about the program I volunteered twice to served on their Reading is Fundamental book selection committee.
It was a thoughtful process, choosing books for a highly diverse community - taking cultural, language, reading level, and format practicality concerns into consideration. At that point, LIS 520 helped me prepare for this task by learning to ask questions, listen and then match the resources to the audience. Through the RIF book selection, I felt like a real librarian lady and I feel as though I contributed to a worthwhile program.
Feedback from a teacher
Marion Forsman-Boushie Early Learning Center
PO Box 498
Suquamish, WA 983092
360-394-8578
Friday, March 14, 2008
To Whom It May Concern:
I have been the teacher for the Marion Forsman-Boushie Tribal Head Start's Home-Based program for the past seven years, and it has been my privilege and pleasure to work with Melissa Adams and her daughter.
Melissa was an active parent, volunteering in the classroom and assisting in the RIF (Reading is Fundamental) program. Not only did she come to the classroom with her musical instruments to share Cajun music with us, she also worked hard to bring the portable planetarium from the Pacific Science Center to share with our students, setting it up in the gymnasium, and presenting a lesson that was age-appropriate for our young children and fun for them to experience.
As a parent on the RIF committee, she spent many volunteer hours choosing books that were interesting, relevant, and fun to read. Our program continues to benefit from her work and interaction, as we continue to share those books in our classrooms. Her enjoyment and expertise in the area of children's literature was and continues to be evident.
Sincerely,
Suzanne Andersen
Early Head Start Teacher