A'B'C' Club Answers, Books, and Children

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A.B.C. Club Answers, Books, and Children

• Keeble Early Childhood Center
• Aldine ISD
• 1999 - present

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Research Parent Involvement

• The effect of family involvement in childrens
  schooling indicates that there is a positive
  correlation between the degree of family
  involvement in academic performance
• There is also data indicating that family
  involvement has a positive effect on cognitive
  development, self-esteem, and self discipline.
• A by-product of this involvement seems to be
  improved parenting skills.

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Keeble Early Childhood Center early years

• Opened in August 1998
• This Pre-Kindergarten center in Aldine ISD was
  opened with 700 students who attended Keeble for
  the ½ day program 350 students each in the
  morning and the afternoon
• The library was originally planned as an
  instructional book room rather than a full
  service library.
• Librarian Sheri McDonald was the certified
  librarian and the technology specialist for the
  building
• Principal Dr. Rosalinda Rodriguez supported a
  Montessori learning environment and a
  student-oriented library.

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Parent Involvement

• Keeble EC/PK Center offered many opportunities
  for parent involvement with the leadership of
  Parent Involvement Coordinator - Cristela Flores
• In 1999, the A.B.C. Club was born with the
  purpose of placing books in the hands of Keeble
  parents and training parents on the importance of
  reading aloud to their children.
• The A.B.C. Club hoped to give parents ownership
  for their library by offering an open door policy
  daily.
• The A.B.C. Club changed the opinion of the
  library as an instructional book room to a full
  service library.

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The Read Aloud Handbook

• author Jim Trelease
• QuoteReading aloud can create a two-part
  formula
• The more you read, the better you get at it
  the better you get at it, the more you like it
  and the more you like it, the more you do it.
  AND The more you read, the more you know and
  the more you know, the smarter you grow.
• Our objective is to create lifetime readers
  graduates who continue to read and educate
  themselves throughout their adult lives.

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A.B.C. Club Vision

• ABC club promotes literacy in the home.
• Parents become curriculum partners.
• Monthly meetings provide tips on reading aloud,
  give ideas to connect books to classroom skills
  based on monthly theme.
• Parents have full access to the library for
  checking-out 7-8 books per visit.

The early years 2002
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A.B.C. Club the early years

• A.B.C. Club Answers, Books, and Children
• Meetings were led by certified librarian
  certified elementary teacher Sheri McDonald and
  the parent coordinator certified Bilingual
  teacher Cristela Flores who also acted as
  interpreter for our Spanish-speaking parents
• Invitations were sent to all parents for A.B.C.
  Club meetings the first Friday of each month
• Due to the ½ day program, we offered a morning
  meeting at 830 a.m. and an afternoon meeting at
  100 p.m. (1 ½ hour sessions)
• Attendance began with 30 parents and quickly grew
  to 150 parents by the end of the first semester
• Over the first four years of the A.B.C. Club,
  attendance ranged between 150-200 parents each
  month

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Meeting Agenda the early years and TODAY

• Opening - Parent Lesson 15 minutes
• Why do We Read Aloud to Children?
• Tips for Reading Aloud to Children
• How to Use the Keeble Library
• Book Care
• Best Books for Read Alouds
• Reading Wordless Picture Books together
• Comprehension questions to ask when reading
• Preparing for the Make-N-Take Activity
• Topics often based on research from Jim
  Treleases
• The Read Aloud Handbook

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Meeting Agenda the early years

• Hands-on Activity 45 minutes
• Parents create learning activity based on piece
  of literature puppets, finger plays, file
  folder games, curriculum related activities,
  storytelling activities
• Leaders explained questioning strategies for the
  activity and modeled use with children
• Parents practiced the activity with partners and
  prepared working with their children

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Meeting Agenda the early years

• Parents and Children Interact 30 minutes
• Parents pick up their child and return to the
  library to share the activity
• Door prizes given in the early years free books
  were given to 5-10 families later years free
  books were given to each family funded by grant
  money
• Parents and children then are invited to use the
  library to check out books

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Keeble Early Childhood Center TODAY

• From 2005 to Present
• This Pre-Kindergarten center in Aldine ISD is now
  a Full day program with 850 students attending
  all day long.
• The library is now a full service LMC
• Librarian Alpha Omega Cruz-Lopez is the librarian
  (Technology Specialist is Mr. David Froelke)
• Maria I. Galindo is our Montessori Certified
  Principal who is tremendously giving and
  supportive of our Library Programs.
• She has acquired Grants with Title I III and
  with Pre-K/LEP Grants by the state to purchase
  more books for our programs success.

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The A.B.C. Club - TODAY

• Led by librarian Alpha Omega Cruz-Lopez,
  Montessori Certified Bilingual Teacher
  Certified Librarian
• Now have 5 sessions of ABC Club on the first
  Friday of every Month _at_ 830, 930, 1030, 1200,
  100 (1 hour sessions)
• Attendance varies from 200 375
• A.B.C. Club sessions moved from the library to
  the cafeteria
• Each session includes important information for
  parents, Make-N-Take Activity to complete with
  children and a Story Read-Aloud Time with the
  children on a HUGE SCREEN.

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Meeting Agenda the early years and TODAY

• Opening - Parent Lesson 15 minutes
• Why do We Read Aloud to Children?
• Tips for Reading Aloud to Children
• How to Use the Keeble Library
• Book Care
• Best Books for Read Alouds
• Reading Wordless Picture Books together
• Comprehension questions to ask when reading
• Preparing for the Make-N-Take Activity
• Topics often based on research from Jim
  Treleases
• The Read Aloud Handbook

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Meeting Agenda TODAY

• Hands-on Activity 35 minutes
• Parents pick up their child and return to do the
  activity
• Parents with children create learning activity
  based on piece of literature puppets, finger
  plays, file folder games, curriculum related
  activities, storytelling activities
• After completing the activity with their children
  in the order presented (Montessori way), the
  families use the activity with the story.
• Clean-up based on Montessori Environment
• All supplies returned back to sectional caddy
• Families get ready for Read-Aloud-Story

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Meeting Agenda TODAY

• Parents and Children Interact 10 minutes
• Parents with children have activity in hand and
  ready to use with story.
• Story-Read-Aloud on HUGE SCREEN in Spanish and
  English at the same time.
• Children are returned to their classes by Keeble
  staff.

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Special Guests Activities

• Grant money allowed us to invite special guests a
  couple of times each year for parent
  puppet-making workshops
• Partnership with the Harris County Library
  brought the Between the Lions program to our
  A.B.C. Club members in 2002.
• Childrens Museum Workshop based on Language
  Skills funded by Title I III Grants
• Scholastic Build-A-Book Activity funded by
  Pre-K/LEP Grants (State)

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Challenges

• Babysitting we initially offered a babysitting
  room until sibling attendance reached 20
• Siblings younger siblings were invited with
  parents but can create a noisy atmosphere (Today
  siblings not invited)
• Space Once the group attendance reached 85
  parents, we had to utilize the multi-purpose room
  for our meetings
• (Today meetings are held in the cafeteria)
• Food the first year we offered coffee and
  treats- but it was not necessary to keep parents
  interested
• Money we utilize grant money for supplies,
  special guests, and free books BUT club can run
  with minimal funding ?!

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Successes OVERALL

• Increased A.B.C. Club Involvement
• first year attendance - 30-150 parents
• 2000-2004 attendance of 150-200 parents
• 2005 to now additional meeting times
  needed attendance up to 375
• Increased Parent Involvement
• all parent activities grew in attendance
• Increased funding for the library to purchase
• money given not only for A.B.C. Club
  functions, but also
• book collections that included additional
  Spanish language
• materials, board books for toddlers, and
  books for parent
• literacy
• Increased library circulation in 2002-2004
  around 80 parents a
• week visited the library for book
  checkout. TODAY about 325
• parents visit the library each week.

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Successes - TODAY

• First Lady Laura Bush daughter Jenna Bush
  visited Houston and asked to speak to educators
  that have made a difference in their school
  community.
• Librarian Alpha Omega Cruz-Lopez was one of 10
  people chosen to speak to the First Lady and her
  daughter about parent involvement in the Keeble
  community.

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Successes - TODAY

• Extended hours
• The library is open on Mondays until 700 PM for
  the working parents.
• Increased number of meetings ABC Club meetings
  have been increased to 4 6 different sessions
  to accommodate the increased number of parents
  participating.
• Increased circulation parent book checkout has
  gone from 80 parents/week to 325 parents/week.

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Library Circulation - Parents
Early Years Library open daily during school
hours Parent Visits ranged between 50-80 parents
each week Average Monthly Circulation Statistics
- 3,500 - 5,700 books
TODAY Parent Checkout Hours 845-915 a.m. and
245-330 daily Evening Hours Monday 245-700
p.m. Parent Visits range between 275-325 parents
each week Average Monthly Circulation Statistics
- 5,500-10,000 books
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A.B.C. Club Activities
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A.B.C. Club Activities
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Puppetmaking
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Elementary School Ideas

• Babies and Books
• Texas 2x2 Clubs Grades PK-2
• Bluebonnet Readers Club Grades 3-6
• Family Literacy Nights
• Build a Book With Dad Night
• Daddy and Me Concert Night

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Build a Book with Dad Night
Inspired by research on the importance of
fathers participation in school activities and
the academic success of their children. Scholasti
c Book Fairs Klutz Build a Book Program was the
basis for our first Daddy and Me Night
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Daddy and Me Concert
Success of the Build a Book with Dad Night
inspired a tradition of offering Daddy and Me
Nights with various events to represent many
interest levels In 2009, we enjoyed a Daddy and
Me Concert starring Lucas Miller, the singing
zoologist. Opening act for our concert was one
of our schools musical groups.
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A.B.C. Club Support Staff

• Alpha Omega Cruz librarian and current leader
  2005- present
• Sheri McDonald librarian and A.B.C. club
  creator 1999-2004
• Cristela Flores parent coordinator and A.B.C.
  club creator 1999-2004
• Dr. Rosalinda Rodriguez Principal from 1999
  2004
• Maria Galindo Principal from 2005 - Present

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Contact Us
Door Prizes

• Alpha Omega Cruz
• Librarian, Keeble EC/PK Center, Aldine ISD
• visit Keeble EC/PK Center Library web page at
• http//schools.aldine.k12.tx.us/webs/151/library.h
  tm
• or email me at aocruz-lopez_at_aldine.k12.tx.us
• Sheri McDonald
• Librarian Kreinhop Elementary School, Klein
  ISD
• visit Kreinhop Library web page at
  http//classroom.kleinisd.net/webs/smcdonald
• or email me at smcdonald_at_kleinisd.net