Families Read together in Little Haiti Cultural Center
The Haitian Cultural Arts Alliance/French Heritage Language Program has received a grant from Florida Humanities Council and the French Government along with a donation of Biblionef, to host a family literacy program that is new to Miami, Fl.
“The program, PRIME TIME FAMILY READING TIME® targets children ages 6 to 14 who are experiencing difficulty or reluctance with reading and their parents in an effort to foster a lifelong love of learning through reading,” says Dianne Brady, Senior Consultant.
PRIME TIME, a six series of reading and discussion programs, includes sessions on fairness, greed, courage, cleverness, and determination.
Families with children ages six and older meet with a storyteller and a discussion leader to explore different children’s books, learn good read-aloud and storytelling techniques, and engage in group discussion.
Participants are also introduced to the many resources and services available to them at the Miami Dade Public Library System. Reading and discussion are leading in French and English.
“Storytelling is as old as language itself. Stories told around the light of a campfire are the very roots of oral literature, which is the basis for the written word. The excitement and enchantment of storytelling and the written word provide the springboard for this unique family literacy program,” says Brady.
“Approximately 15 families attend each week, and they are very enthusiastic about the program. We are pleased with the response to the program by the participants and the support of the community organizations and businesses, such as Publix and Jetro".
The Florida Humanities Council and the National Endowment for the Humanities sponsor PRIME TIME programs. The Florida Humanities Council is a private, statewide, non-profit affiliate of the National Endowment for the Humanities.
French Heritage Language/Miami, is organized by the Haitian Cultural Arts Alliance (AlyansAtizayAyisyen) in partnership with the City of Miami, Miami Dade & Broward CountyPublic Schools, Easter Seals South Florida, and supported by the French Heritage Language Program, a program of the non-profit foundation, French American Cultural Exchange (FACE) and the cultural services of the Consulat General of France in Miami.