Literacy Network of Los Angeles

The Story Exploring training is based on the Motheread® multicultural Story Exploring curriculum. This curriculum is designed for use with children ages birth through 11.

A mother reads to her children.

It uses over 100 children’s books as the basis for instruction. The training helps teachers build children’s reading and critical thinking skills. The take-home parent education materials are available in English and Spanish. The curriculum uses discussion questions and activities to foster creative thinking and problem solving skills, nurture a love of books, and aid in the development of comprehension skills. It includes a variety of language skill-building activities in reading, writing, listening, and speaking.

The Story Exploring Books reflect the findings of current research and federal guidelines for early childhood and elementary school reading instruction. Story
Exploring offers four levels using multicultural children’s books.

• Book 1, designed for use with infants and toddlers encourages the youngest learners to enjoy simple board books. It provides adults with simple activities that promote story enjoyment and build emergent literacy skills.
• Book 2, designed for use with preschoolers, helps adults read strategically to children in ways that will enhance comprehension, build vocabulary and help them translate spoken language to the written word.
• Book 3, designed for use with grades K – 2 focuses on moving children from phonological awareness to alphabetic. Teachers are given activities that encourage children to be actively involved in creating poetry, songs and stories.
• Book 4, designed for use with grades 3 – 5, encourages children to develop independent writing skills through activities that focus on journaling and writing for other audiences. Each lesson includes an opportunity to analyze and explore the story further.

Story Extenders accompany each lesson as a companion piece to the Story Exploring Books. They are designed to support learning in the home environment.

Topics covered in the interactive, 6 hour training include:

• Examine ways to encourage a positive attitude and motivate children about reading
• Experience use of story as a way to teach and examine the importance of narrative
• Learn about the research that supports the Story Exploring approach and its key elements.
• Practice specific strategies and techniques to build literacy skills through the read-aloud experience.
• Explore ways to use the transfer-to-home activities provided by the Story Extenders.