The ABCs Of Learning Centers Here are the keys to creating a good learning environment, according to Marilyn Lowrey, consulting educator with Teaching That Makes Sense in Chapel Hill, N.C.:
- Get a strong director. People in the community need to know there’s a smart person in charge and that they can count on them.
- Be accessible. Be honest. Be available. Be consistent. The usual things we all have to do to earn and build trust.
- Offer programs for parents, kids, and parents and kids together. Anything you can do to get kids and parents in the same room enjoying themselves and learning something will make everyone feel like this is a community they want to belong to.
- Consider activities that involve what teachers call “shared literary experiences.” Typically, these involve reading a book together or reading to a group. They can also involve writing together in large groups.
- Create a comfortable and welcoming environment that encourages academic work but that is different from school; many parents and their kids need a break from the feeling of being at school.
- Remember that time is always a factor. It just seems like there’s never enough time with the kids or the parents to do what needs to be done. Scheduling is very important.
Full Schedule
Park Haven in Brooklyn Park, Minn., offers a wide range of programs, free of charge, to its residents. They include:
- Job preparation and skills workshops
- English as a Second Language classes
- Multi-language nutritional programs
- Renter’s education and budgeting classes
- After-school and summer tutoring programs
- Social issues and family violence discussions
- Computer classes