SBIR-STTR Award

This Phase I SBIR (92-024) proposal will develop "Jump Start", a series of literacy-oriented parent/child interaction kits targeting school-aged children (K-3), families and teachers. "Jump Start" kits are organized in three categories: (1) Getting Down to Basics (cooking, sewing, planting, letters, telephoning), (2) Hot Topics (measuring, wind, dinosaurs, magnets), and (3) Art Works (rubber stamp- art, bookmaking, puppetry, weaving). Kits contain instructions for activities, necessary materials and books, suggestions for additional activities and interactive curriculum ideas for Spanish-speaking children with limited English proficiency. "Jump Start" kits will be used by teachers to promote developmentally appropriate, literacy-based activities, and after training can be loaned to parents.Summary: "Jump Start" will feature 12 family literacy kits (English, Spanish and one or more Southeast Asian versions) containing materials to support parent-child interaction and the development of readiness skills in limited English proficient children. The kits will be marketed to Even Start, Chapter I, Adult Education initiatives; Family Literacy Foundations (Bush & Kennan); educational media publishers; distributors of young children/parent education materials: Crayola, Kid Stamp, Discovery Toys etc.

Keywords:
Literacy Kits, Education, Limited English Proficiency, SpanishTopic 9: Development of Materials to Promote Intergenerational Learning and Literacy in Limited English Proficient Students' Families.

In Phase 1, three JumpStart protoypes targeting Spanish speaking families were developed: Cook Works, Book Works and Earth Works. Each Idt contains guides, books, materials, tapes and activities for home and school. A selection of the activities have been translated into Spanish, bilingual books are included and a multicultural perspective is used throughout all three kits. In Phase II, three new kits-Puppet Making, Game Making and Letters and Mail-will be developed. Spanish and Southeast Asian versions will be created. The JumpStart series will be piloted in three urban school systems with lingusiticary and economically diverse populations. JumpStart can be used in school or center-based family involvement amd literacy -programs. 'Me kits can also stand alone and can be borrowed by parents.

Keywords:
Literacy Kits, Education, Multicultural, Spanish, Southeast Asian, F@iesSummary of anticipated results and implications of the approach and the Potential commercial applications of the research.- "JumpStart" will feature six family literacy kits (English, Spanish and Southeast Asian versions) containing materials to support parent-child interaction and the development of readiness skills in limited English proficient children. The resulting benefits of the JumpStart kits include: an organized and systematic approach to family literacy; ease of use by programs; easy and enjoyable materials forfamilies; less time and cost to publicly funded programs than would have been required to develop such materials on their own. 'Me ldts will be marketed to Bilingual Educators; Even Start, Chapter 1, Adult Education initiatives, and publishers of educational curriculum materials. Individual sets of JumpStart activities win be marketed as "stand alone" mini kits to be made available to parents and children through retail markets.Department of Education: Solicitation number: 93-030Topic: Development of Materials to Promote Intergenerational Leaming and Literacy in Limited English Proficient Students'Families.