Family Literacy Night, Th, Dec. 3

Kalamazoo – Students from Western Michigan University will be presenting a Family Literacy Night at El Sol Elementary School on Thursday, Dec. 3.
This is the second Family Literacy Night event the WMU students have coordinated for the elementary school. It will take place from 6:30-7:30 p.m. at El Sol, 604 W. Vine St., in Kalamazoo. "Literacy nights like this promote a shared awareness of the importance of reading,” said Dr. Paul Babladelis, principal at El Sol.  “These nights are family events that most often include parents,  students, and siblings. The event provides a shared experience that is reinforced later by reading in the home." El Sol Elementary is dedicated to bilingual education using a two-way immersion program: half of the school day’s instruction is in English, and the other half is in Spanish.
Students from WMU’s English course, Language and Literacy in the Multilingual Classroom, have been planning the Family Literacy Nights for El Sol. The class is led by Dr. Karen Vocke. Some of the activities planned include storytelling, mural drawing, and puppet making. The WMU students also coordinated a book drive throughout the community, and the donations will be given to families at the Literacy Night event. "Here at El Sol Elementary we are trying to develop a college-going 
culture. The partnership with WMU is important because it creates a bridge from the school and the home to the university,” Babladelis said. “Elementary students and their families interact with college 
students and learn more about what it takes to be successful in college, including the development of strong literacy skills."
For more information: Dr. Karen Vocke, 387-2601; Dr. Paul Babladelis, 337-0230