Family literacy in the context of culture September 24, 2013

On July 8, 2013 Terry Nakamura (Family Literacy Trainer) and Pua Aquino (Cultural Specialist/Preschool Teacher) presented on “Integrating Hawaiian Values and Traditions into Early Childhood Learning” at the Culture-Based Education Conference held at the Hawai‘i Convention Center. This conference provided a unique opportunity for cultural practitioners, educators, and political leaders to come together and discuss the importance of culture-based education within the community.

Terry and Pua shared how Ka Pa‘alana integrates Hawaiian culture into a program that serves the entire family through the National Center for Family Literacy’s (NCFL) four component family literacy model, and the direct correlation between the literacy of a parent and the future success of a child in school. Those who attended were asked to think about their earliest exposure to culture, whom the significant person was who taught them about their culture, and also got a chance to work together in groups to create cultural curriculum using the NCFL model. At the end of the session, participants walked away with a sample curriculum, a chart to aid in brainstorming, and a new sense of how NCFL works within a family education program.