The Anniston Star from Anniston, Alabama • Page 69

Page 12 Sunday, April 16, 2000 tEfr ftnnfeton J5tar Week of the Young Child Library: Crucial to learning ifK ajiiin 1, 1 "V' I 1 learn. Eight modules in The Brain Train cover everything from the roles nutrition, music, reading and motor skill development play in a child's learning and eventual formal education. Escambia County, which last year ranked 50th in Alabama in child health and welfare categories, needed an intense effort, Mrs. Harrell said. Organizers have pulled experts from across the state to tailor their program.

It started out with 'an emphasis on day care, but has since spread to a broader audience. Now it's not Unusual to hear parents of all backgrounds in the county talk about brain development and learning. Doing too much At the other end of the spectrum are parents who know a great deal about emerging research on children's learning ability. They, too, present obstacles to how well their children learn, Mrs. Thorington said.

She pointed to one group of 4-year-old children at a day care. Their parents doctors, lawyers and other highly paid professionals wanted to know why teachers weren't focusing on math worksheets and reading exercises. When teachers respond that the children are learning math and reading, parents expect a more formal program. "They want to go back and be able to say, 'Well, my child is doing she said. "We have-stolen childhood from children, and they will never be able to get it back." Overstimulation can impair how a child learns, teachers say.

Not only does it impart the idea from an early age that learning isn't fun, it can stifle a child's ability to teach himself about the world. The same runs true for computer games, educators say. They can be learning aids, but they can also reduce the child's effort to put his own ability into tasks. Attention span can slacken, and there's no long-term research yet on what effect a computer's flicking screen has on young eyes and minds. Some kindergarten and first-grade teachers even point out that while children given every gadget and advantage can do things such as work a computer or video game.

Home work Whether at home or at school or at home-school, children need to read with the support of their parents. Julie Williams plows ahead with her studies right In her mother's kitchen, allowing for lots of Interaction with her primary teacher, her mom. From Page 10 also higher than the national average, the Urban Institute survey says, further limiting a family's earning ability and amount of time spent learning with children. In contrast, wealthier families are more likely to have read to their children an average of three to five times each week, according to the federal education department report. Many parents in poorer neighborhoods cite a lack of books as a reason they don't read.

Programs such as the one in Albertville's West End Elementary are not limited to poor families, but they do offer a source of literature to families with nothing. And while poverty alone is not an indicator that a child will have' trouble learning, a combination of poverty and parental ignorance is. Experts say they're dismayed by the number of poor parents who say in surveys they're unaware that they could check books out of a public library for free. Rural parents, who see bookmobiles go by their houses, report to federal surveyors in consistently large numbers that they, too, are unaware they could participate in the reading programs. As a result, the less money a family makes, the fewer reading materials it has around the house.

Federal reports found that average reading proficiency increases with the number of different types of reading materials kept at home. Some programs try to teach families what is available to them. In Alabama, The Brain Train of VOICES for Alabama's Children has gone into nine communities to start projects. If successful, the second phase could spread to other cities, including Anniston. The program tries to teach parents how to nurture and educate their children from birth.

Most of its recommendations are informal and simple, but program directors say they must be simple to be effective. "You have to get them to realize how their whole life is involved," said Ruth Harrell, a retired public health nurse and co-director of the Alabama Southern Rural Access Program. "That's a big obstacle." Her group in Escambia County has implanted The Brain Train curriculum in hospitals and teaches parents the basics of how babies New Haven Baptist Church Children's Ministry 237-2MM 100 New Haven Rd; Anniston lUfl-Jnst Part Intemrtioa of Hwy. 202 A C. 101 Pastor: Dr.

tarry Riddle TcmiKID (Kids bi Dnripkship), is for children Preschool 45 Yrv through 3rd Grade. They mm dunhg the Sunday morning worship lime 10-30a in die fellowship hall until worship ervite are over TeamRID include fun-filled Bible learning jt tiv iocs (hat teach children all about strengthening their relationship with (iod through faith, prayer, personal devotions and respect. It also teaches them to improve their relationships with family, fnefhk and others by following Jesus' ei-ampte The children really enjoy this! Other Children's Ministry Activities: "Sunday School. Sunday "Children's Choir 5:00 Sunday "Children's Missions Study: ft-VVpm Wednesday IS Ken EtkrnsThe Anniston Star the place to be! A. A.

Girls T- Early Intervention System Offers Helping Hand Some little ones may have special needs and may require help in reaching milestones, such as standing, walking, talking, learning, seeing or hearing. If you have questions or concerns about the development of your child, call Child Find toll-free at 1-800-543-3098. they often lack the ability to act ere- -atively on their own or take initiative in a group. Those are skills they'll need in school and life. "We need to allow children to be children and to enjoy it with said Mrs.

Thorington, who has two teen-age daughters. "No two kids are the same, yet society tries to treat it like a formula." Finding the balance Education analysts say that's not surprising because society today wishes to apply formulas and goals to anything, whether it's saving for retirement or following a weight-loss diet. Yet to help parents and children overcome learning obstacles, programs must be flexible, said Ms. Duckett, who was one of several organizers of Albertville's reading night. About 25 parents and children Please see Library Page 13 it Looking for something FUN to do this Snmrnor? titbit 1N) Boys i i i Jt Celebrating 30 Years 1 Dance, Gymnastics Ja 1970-2000 31 and Cheer it Contributing to the Care and Weil-Being Of the Children We Serve Providing a Safe and Healthy Environment Where Happy Children Learn and Play 620 Gardner Drive Jacksonville 435-4165 Give your child an experience that will last a lifetime! CALL TODAY! 435-2225.