Valley of LynchburgProject Talkk
THE LYNCHBURG SCOTTISH RITE VALLEY
Partner In Education With The Lynchburg School System and Surrounding Area Participating Day Care Centers.
Teaching Age-appropriate Language Skills
To Kids through Kits = Success
Presented by Ill. Lonnie L. Godfrey, 33° P.R.S.G.I.G
Project Summary
One of the indicators of success in school is age-appropriate language skills in preschool years. As a locality, we see that preschool children would benefit from structured activities focusing on acquisition of language skills. We know that success in school is directly related to age-appropriate language skills.
The goals outlined herein will be met through the availability of language skills kits that will be used in local pre-school and day care centers. The funds for these kits are provided by the Lynchburg Scottish Rite Valley and the kits themselves have a Scottish Rite emblem on them. Members of our Valley are also involved in the packaging of items that go in the kits and the distribution of them. We also are involved in reading to pre-school children at their particular locations.
The kits are designed by certified speech pathologists. Each kit focuses on a specific age appropriate language skill. Each kit has an explanation of activities that the school, day care center and parents can use to teach the child a specific language skill. The materials ( tools ) for each language skill / related activity is available in each kit.
Certified speech pathologists can be contracted to train all involved in the use of the kits. The utilization of volunteers will result in periodic application of the skills taught. The frequency of volunteer facilitation at a specific facility is based on time available.
In our Valley we refer to this involvement as PROJECT TALKK = SUCCESS. Teaching Age-appropriate Language to Kids through Kits = Success.
Overall Project Goals:
- To improve the language skills of preschool aged children
- To prepare children for success through the development of language skills
- To provide parents an opportunity to learn how to provide language skills based instruction through typical preschool play and structured parent / child interactions
- To increase the use of structured language–based activities in public and private centers
- To identify children who have language delays, disabilities which call for speech therapy ( focus: early identification of speech and language delays )
Our Valleys involvement in this program is bringing positive local visibility to who we as Scottish Rite Masons are and what we are all about.