2 more completed sessions for literacy program

The Motheread/Fatheread CNMI Family Literacy Program added two more completion ceremonies late last year with Dandan Head Start Center and William S. Reyes Elementary School.

This was the first Motheread/Fatheread class for Connita Camacho and Soley-Marie Kaipat, who are newly certified teachers in the Motheread/Fatheread Curriculum since the Motheread/Fatheread Institute in August of this year.

William S. Reyes Elementary School had a total of six families complete the Motheread/Fatheread CNMI class. The parents of their class were Glennis Y. Gamboa-Licop, Evelyn Baetiong, Gemabelle Aringo, Man Liu, Yuling “Elaine” Zhou, and Jung Hye Suk.

Nakita Braganza, one of the program’s children’s story exploring instructors and now certified teacher in the Motheread/Fatheread Curriculum, held a fun-filled children’s Story Exploring class with the participating kids from WSRES: Gianna Licop, Sophia Heart Diyco, Samantha Diyco, Slatter Diyco, Shiela Feng, Winnie Wu, Sunny Ma, Albert Cho, and Aubrey Castro.

Dandan Head Start Center was a combination of nine participating families from other participating Head Start Centers around the island. The parents who completed the class were Keolani Ngiracheliong, Francisco Macaranas, Yumi Rabauliman, Betty Koche, Josen Osias, and Joie Osias. 

This was also the first class for newly certified story exploring instructor Viola Marie Deleon Guerrero.

The newest children story explorers are Malaena Riley Macaranas, Cleo Masao, Solomon Masao, Jazarra Kelsey Osias, Cassidy Osias, Healani Masaharu, Lucy Norech, Sarah Norech, and Irieana Camacho.

Since the beginning of 2019, over 300 Motheread/Fatheread CNMI classes have been conducted at Saipan, Tinian, and Rota elementary schools, Head Start centers and community programs around the CNMI. Motheread/Fatheread CNMI is a nationally acclaimed community-based program administered by the Northern Marianas Humanities Council. Parents and children learn to use the power of children’s literature to improve their own reading skills, to explore challenging family issues, and to foster empowerment in their daily lives. The program provides opportunities for all parents—regardless of their educational background or previous experience—to be a reading role model for children by developing their children’s reading, critical thinking, and problem solving skills.

The Motheread/Fatheread Program targets families with parents, but is open to any adult—or grandparent, godparent, sibling, aunt, uncle, etc.—who has a passion for literacy and who is willing to share a first-rate literacy experience with children in their family or community.

While parents attend the adult course, their children (ages 3-11) are invited to participate in a story exploring class. All courses are taught in English with a class offered in Chamorro. All Motheread/Fatheread books are written in English, with some translations in Chamorro, Carolinian, and Spanish. In addition to its curricula, Motheread/Fatheread offers a financial literacy class in partnership with the Bank of Hawaii, as well as, the Eagle Books series—upon availability— which is a series of four books that is used to promote literacy and a healthy lifestyle geared toward diabetes prevention. Venues are held in local libraries, public and private schools, Head Start centers, youth/community centers, juvenile detention/adult correctional facilities, homes, apartments, and private business throughout the CNMI.

The Motheread/Fatheread Program could not continue to thrive without the partnerships it receives from the Northern Marianas Humanities Council, the Joeten-Kiyu Public Library, CNMI Public School System and administration, PSS Head Start Program and administration and participating families.

If you or your organization are interested in participating in the next Motheread/Fatheread class, call or visit the Joeten-Kiyu Public Library at 235-7319/285-2279/783-7678 or email read.cnmi@gmail.com. (PR)