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The Oklahoma Literacy Resource Office
Oklahoma
Dept. of Libraries
200 NE 18th St
Oklahoma City,
Oklahoma
73105-3298
(405) 522-3205
(405) 525-7804—FAX
Oklahoma Literacy News
Contents
Read Across Oklahoma 2012—promotional
flyer (pdf)
Emergent Literacy Initiative
Health Literacy Booth Serves Bus Riders
Celebrating Our Journey
Annual Photo Contest—the Winner
2011 Joint Literacy Conference—a Success
Last Year's Read Across Oklahoma
Emergent Literacy Initiative
More than fifty library and literacy programs from throughout the state are taking advantage of ODL’s early literacy initiative to enhance existing local initiatives or develop new programs. Participating programs agreed to attend three emergent literacy workshops and implement new strategies learned.
Thanks to LSTA funds granted by the Institute of Library and Museum Services, sites will also receive books for the library, support materials, and books to give to local children.
Betsy Diamant-Cohen kicked off the workshop series with a “how to use” the Mother Goose on the Loose model to promote the development of early literacy skills. Participants left with ideas, books, and resources to implement the program locally.
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| Mother Goose on the Loose—Piedmont Public Library's Rhonda Turley shows her handmade flannel board prop, and Oklahoma librarians use bells to demonstrate the use of rhythm in early literacy programs. |
The second workshop, Family Literacy Projects on a Budget, was presented by Wendy Blackwell, Deborah Mason, and Tisha Thorne with the National Children’s Museum. More than 70 participants learned how to enhance books and story times with free and low cost craft ideas.
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| Family Literacy Projects on a Budget—[clockwise from top left] Presenters, Deborah Mason and Tisha Thorne, from the National Children's Museum, modeling easy-to-make costumes for Oklahoma librarians • Tulsa City-County Library System's Heather Stark puts the finishing touch on her paper-bag pirate vest • Beverly Theige, Pioneer Library System, shows off her creative pop-up book • Jennifer Greenstreet, Director of the Ada Public Library, creates a book using scrapbook paper and a rubber band. |
The third workshop, Criss-Cross Applesauce, will be presented on March 7 by Saroj Ghoting. This session will share the keys to successful story times targeting newborns to five-year-olds and their parents and caregivers.
Health Literacy Booth Serves Bus Riders
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| RSVP volunteer LouWana Yount and Rebecca Barker, from the Literacy Resource Office, staff the health literacy booth at the Metro Transit Bus Station’s health fair. |
The Oklahoma Literacy Resource Office, Oklahoma City Metro Literacy Coalition, and Oklahoma State Department of Health hosted a health literacy booth at the Metro Transit Bus Terminal’s health fair. During the fair, Oklahoma City bus riders took advantage of a variety of information and services including free flu shots, healthy snacks, and basic health information in English and Spanish. The health literacy booth was a popular stop where individuals picked up magnifiers for easier reading, and information on such topics as depression, flu, pain, and cholesterol.
Celebrating Our Journey, Volume 7
The Oklahoma Literacy Resource Office unveiled the newest edition of Celebrating Our Journey at the 2011 state literacy conference.
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| Lester Allen (Duncan Adult Learning Center) signs his
story "I Am Wiser Now" for a young fan |
The publication features a collection of 171 stories written by Oklahoma learners and adult basic education students. Forty-nine of the authors were on hand to autograph their story at a special book signing reception at the conference. The inspiring stories capture the successes, struggles, and thoughts of the authors as they shared their stories of celebrations and traditions, struggles and victories, travel and adventures, wisdom and learning.
The 336 page book was possible thanks to Library Services and Technology Act (LSTA) funds from the Institute of Museum and Library Services.
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for Carol and Amy Krueger with the Krueger Charitable Foundation |
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| 2011 Grand Prize winning photograph |
Oklahoma City’s Even Start program took home a new digital camera after winning the 2011 literacy photo contest sponsored by the Oklahoma Literacy Coalition. The winning photo captured the love of learning by featuring an Even Start family using a smart board to improve literacy skills. The award was presented during Oklahoma’s joint literacy and adult education conference, where photo entries were on display.
Director Vicki Land accepted the camera on behalf of the program and reported that it was used right after the conference when a fireman visited the Even Start class.
2011 Joint Literacy Conference a Success
The first joint literacy and adult education conference, held in 2010, was such a success that the partner organizations decided to make it an annual event. In 2011, increased attendance and positive feedback suggested that Oklahoma’s conference continues to be a beneficial resource for adult education teachers, volunteer tutors, corrections staff, literacy administrators and trainers, and adult learners.
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| Stephanie
Curtis reads a Governor’s proclamation naming September as Literacy Month in Oklahoma. |
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| Jayme Adleson-Goldstein, author of Oxford Picture Dictionary, shares how to use picture dictionaries in a multi-level classroom. |
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| Conference attendees line up to have their copies of Celebrating Our Journey signed. |
Executive Director of the State Department of Education’s Lifelong Learning Section Stephanie Curtis read a proclamation from Governor Mary Fallin proclaiming September as Literacy Month in Oklahoma, and Department of Libraries director, Susan McVey welcomed attendees. Back by popular demand was keynote speaker Mark McLeod, who energized the audience with his positive message of building relationships. Participants selected from more than 60 workshops presented by local, state, and national experts, with adult learners attending sessions designed to meet their needs. Once again, a conference highlight was the unveiling of Celebrating Our Journey, a collection of stories written by adult learners from throughout the state. Forty-nine of the 171 authors were on hand to autograph their story during a special book signing reception hosted by the Oklahoma Literacy Coalition.
Conference sponsors including the State Department of Education, Oklahoma Department of Libraries, and Oklahoma Literacy Coalition have already set September 27–28 as the dates of the 2012 conference.
2011 Read Across Oklahoma
More
than 2,500 children celebrated reading and literacy at the 2011 Read Across
Oklahoma event held at the Oklahoma City Zoo last April. The theme for the
day was inspired by the book, Rope ‘Em, a colorful underwater
western by Oklahoma author Stacy Nyikos, pictured right, seated
among a sea of children.
Children viewed zoo exhibits, visited learning stations, heard stories read by local celebrities, and had the opportunity to meet the author. Musical performances by Brendon Parker, aka Spaghetti Eddie, had the audience singing along, and Target employees were on hand to serve lunch to the children and volunteers. According to project coordinator Kerri McLinn, “The 2011 event was the biggest and best yet, and we couldn’t have pulled it off without our wonderful partners and volunteers.”
2011 Read Across Oklahoma Sponsored by—
Oklahoma Department of Libraries •
Oklahoma Educational Television Authority (OETA) • Target • Oklahoma
City Zoo and Zoological Society • Rotary
Club • Krueger Charitable Foundation
• Capitol Hill High School FCCLA • Capitol Hill High School ROTC • Metro
Technology Centers
To contact staff of the Literacy Resource Office, use ODL's Staff Contact Form or Department Contact Form.
