I worked for nearly five years with families who are homeless.  Many families become homeless because they are employed in minimum wage positions and so are unable to afford market rate rentals.  These parents, particularly the single parents, frequently mothers, are unable to obtain better paying positions because they are unable to read.  We all know that this is a serious risk factor for a young child.  It was interesting to me to work with these mothers and support their ability to foster an interest in printed matter in their young children.

The first step is to establish positive rapport with the parent so that when one converses about the importance of supporting early literacy the parent does not feel embarrassed by the inability to read, is open about it and knows that he or she is getting non-judgmental support.

To establish rapport be self-reflective.  Be clear in your mind how you feel about illiteracy in the year 2008.  Then consciously let go of, or just set aside, any judgments you have.  Take time to greet each parent and establish eye contact and show that you have time to talk.  Listen to the parent.  Enquire about the child and listen to the parent's response. 

Make an appointment to have the parent come to talk with you about early literacy activities that can be done with the infant or toddler at home.  Have on hand a couple of magazines like Essence or Ebony or People and some wordless picture books.  Find out from the parents if there is a magazine that he or she likes to look at.

Tell the parent that pictures are an important means of communicating ideas.  Note that they are pleasurable to look at.  Converse with the parent about a picture in one of the magazines you have on hand.  Identify a picture, name specific objects in the pictures, like eyes, nose, fingers, car doors, windscreen, etc.  Talk about the colors, shapes and anything else that strikes you.  Let the parent tell you about any feelings that the picture makes him or her aware of.  Identify numbers, shapes etc.  After about 5 minutes show a child's book and let the parent know that just talking with his or her child about the pictures is helping the baby to develop an interest in 'reading'.  Note that when you talked about the magazine pictures you took turns in identifying the object, you asked questions and responded to the parent's questions.  Let the parent know that the child will want to hold the book, turn the pages, point to objects on each page, and that it is supporting the child's early literacy skills to just let him or her handle the books. 

Discuss the fact that magazine pages may get torn, but that the baby is not doing that deliberately, so just use old magazines, as the child gets older he or she will have better control and will not tear books especially if she is not punished for doing so at this stage.  Suggest to the parent that he or she put a couple of picture books in the child’s bag so that they can be used while on the bus or when waiting at the bus stop.  I would then show the parent where the center’s Lending Library shelf is and tell him or her that books can be taken and returned at any time.  I would be sure to check in with the parent frequently about ‘reading’ with the child.  I even took photographs of the parents and children looking at a book and displayed them on the wall.  Parents became more comfortable with sitting with their young child for short periods in the Book Area when they brought their child to work.  One mother told me that she sits with her baby in her lap when she is watching TV and gives the baby a magazine.  She said she “kills two birds with one stone”.  She said they will often times fall asleep right there.