Elementary Education Majors Participated in Read-In at Farrell School

Nineteen Westminster College elementary education majors participated in the 20th National African American Read-In Feb. 18 at Farrell Elementary School.

The students are enrolled in a class taught by Dr. Charlene Klassen Endrizzi, Westminster professor of education.

In preparation for the event, sponsored by the National Council of Teachers of English, pre-service teachers selected children's books authored by African American writers and worked with Jeannette Hubbard, Westminster director of Diversity Services. The books were shared with K-6 children at "The Write Stuff," a family literacy night.

Valerie Morrison and Nicole Lombardi, Farrell Elementary literacy coaches who earned master's degrees from Westminster, helped Westminster students prepare engaging texts and activities for the children.

"I shared a book about Louis Armstrong," said Westminster student Amy Cannon. "While we were reading, the student turned to me and said, 'I like hip-hop music. The beat in Louis Armstrong's music is similar to hip-hop.'"

During the read-in, Klassen Endrizzi and six Farrell literacy coaches and Title I teachers met with families to explore the impact of parents' functional writing efforts with children away from school. Families revealed creative ways to write with their children, including writing letters to the new U.S. president and to servicemen, initiating a journal with teachers, song lyrics, scrapbooking, and Sunday school lessons.

This school-college collaboration evolves from Klassen Endrizzi's on-going research into family-school partnerships. Her inquiry focuses on exploring ways to build more vibrant connections between each child's two essential learning partners, their families and their teachers.

Westminster students shared their thoughts about the experience:

Justin Flowers said, "I realized that establishing and maintaining good rapport with students' families is just as important as the relationships with the students themselves."

"Before this experience, I never really thought about how important it is to communicate with students' parents," said Jill Diamond. "I now realize that parent-teacher relationships are vital to a student's success."

Aimee Spicuzza said, "Parents and teachers must work together for the success of the child."

Sarah Bender commented, "I learned literacy is blind to socio-economic status."

Rebecca Ruppert discovered, "There are so many types of writing, not all found in a classroom."

Klassen Endrizzi, who has been with Westminster since 1993, earned undergraduate and master's degrees from Fresno Pacific College and Ph.D. from the University of Arizona. She is the author of Becoming Teammates: Teachers and Families as Literacy Partners.

Contact Klassen Endrizzi at (724) 946-7189 or e-mail endrizck@westminster.edu for more information.