Early Literacy Workshops

TUESDAY, JANUARY 3, 2011

EIGHT, ARIZONA PBS

PHOENIX…Dec. 20, 2011…Eight, Arizona PBS is conducting free literacy workshops aimed at stimulating brain and language development in children from birth through age five at eight locations in North Phoenix beginning Tuesday, January 10, 2012. Eight’s Educational Outreach department conducts the workshop series funded by Arizona’s First Things First.

Registration is open to the public. The locally-based early literacy workshops take place in schools, churches and community centers. Parents, grandparents and educators may attend only one workshop or the entire series at no charge. The workshops are bi-lingual with both Spanish translation and free childcare available for kids five and under.

This six-workshop literacy series focuses on these topics: changes in a child’s brain, strategies for reading aloud, creating a literacy-rich environment, incorporating poetry and music, making media an educational experience and finding safe, online literacy resources. The workshops are two hours long, centering first on caregivers and educators. In the last half hour, caregivers work with their children to gain confidence in newly learned skills. Attendees also receive a complete packet of resources, including tip sheets, a children’s book and DVD.

Please find workshop locations and schedules below. Families can register online at asset.asu.edu and click on “North Phoenix Early Literacy Workshops” or by calling (602) 496-7004. Space is limited to 25 participants per location:

• Beuf Community Center (Tuesday 6:00-8:00pm)

  1/10, 1/17, 1/24, 1/31, 2/7, 2/14

• Tumbleweed Elementary School (Thursday 6:00-8:00pm)

  1/19, 1/26, 2/2, 2/16, 2/23, 3/1

• Cactus View Elementary School (Thursday 3:30pm-5:30pm)

  1/24, 1/31, 2/14, 2/21, 2/28, 3/6

• Constitution Elementary School (Tuesday 12:45-2:45pm)

  1/31, 2/7, 2/14, 2/21, 2/28, 3/6

• Madison Heights Elementary School (Tuesday 6:15-8:15pm)

  1/31, 2/7, 2/14, 2/21, 2/28, 3/6

• Larkspur Elementary School (Wednesday 5:00-7:00pm)

  2/1, 2/8, 2/15, 2/22, 2/29, 3/7

• St. Jerome Catholic School (Thursday 3:30-5:30pm)

  2/2, 2/9, 2/16, 2/23, 3/1, 3/8

• Deer Valley Community Center (Friday 9:30-11:30am)

  2/3, 2/10, 2/17, 2/24, 3/2, 3/9