4 Apr 2003
Nationally known bilingual education advocate to address conference on the use of multicultural literature in early childhood programs
DALLAS–Exploring the best methods to boost children's early learning is the aim of the Dallas Independent School District's Prekindergarten Conference set for 8 a.m. to 1 p.m. Saturday, April 26, at the Infomart, 1950 Stemmons Freeway.
Author, professor and expert on early childhood education, Alma Flor Ada will be the keynote speaker for the conference, which is open to educators and parents. Flor is professor and director of the Center for Multicultural Literature for Children and Young Adults at the University of San Francisco. She is a leading advocate for bilingual education and is the author of several English and Spanish reading programs and children's books.
District officials say reading will be a major conference focus with Flor and other presenters conducting workshops on strategies, activities and practical tips parents and educators can employ to encourage early literacy and love of reading.
"This conference agenda underscores the goal of DISD's Early Childhood Program, which is to start as early as possible preparing children to learn to read," said Beth Steerman, executive director – DISD Early Childhood Education Department.
"As early as Prekindergarten, we see our students as future high school graduates. Our goal is to equip every child with the skills they need to attain that goal, and it all begins with reading."
The conference will feature a number of workshops aimed at familiarizing educators and parents with skills, teaching strategies and learning tools to put children on a firm educational footing in the years between infancy and third grade. Participants will explore such topics as how to help children develop a rich vocabulary, how to promote cooperation between schools and families, ways to make read-aloud time more fun and effective, and tips on the use of multicultural songs and poems to help boost children's language development and self-concept. Flor will conduct one workshop in Spanish, titled, Vocabulary and Concept Development Through Song.
Parents are invited to attend the conference free of charge. Pre-registration is required and is available by calling (214) 932-7390