The Even Start Family Literacy Partnerships for L.I.F.E. (Literacy is a Family Effort) is a collaboration between the Madison-Oneida BOCES and the Welcome Hall Community Center. Its target population is 50 families, including a minimum of 50 adults and approximately 80 to 100 children under the age of eight. The program serves the public school districts of Camden, Canastota, Hamilton, Madison, Morrisville-Eaton, Oneida, Stockbridge, Vernon-Verona-Sherrill, and Rome. It also serves two private schools. Center-based services are provided at four sites, while flexible and accommodating home-based services are provided weekly for enrolled families.
Twelve program staff, including a project coordinator and five full-time family educators, provide services. When interviewing prospective family educators, the program director includes the questions noted below. Keep in mind that these are samples only. You may need to revise, or supplement, them based on your program's model and service delivery.
Please describe your educational background and experiences as related to a) adult education and b) early childhood.
Please explain what "family literacy" means to you.
For the second time, you enter the home of a family you will be working with for a long period of time. You see dirty diapers, matches, and soiled laundry. Mom is feeding her two-year-old child appropriately. The television is playing loudly. What do you do and say? What is important for you to not say? What skills do you work on?
What do you know about the characteristics of families that are impoverished? teen parents?
What pre-reading strategies would you incorporate into lessons for a six-month-old child? a two-year-old child?
How do you assess whether your students learned an objective?
What do you feel are the characteristics of an effective teacher?
You have an adult with sixth-grade math and reading levels. What would a 30 to 45 minute lesson look like?
What are your strengths as a teacher? What areas do you want to grow in?