Document text
Teens learn to teach toddlers Program weaves science into its reading lessons By VICKI GUARINO They still have lessons to learn themselves, but teen parents in Medford high schools are learning how to give their kids a head start in science. The Jackson County Library System is guiding young parents through preschool reading seminars designed to introduce toddlers to literature as well as science. Called "Mother Goose Asks `Why?'," the program shows parents how to get their preschoolers to think about simple science -- like the way paper airplanes soar -- as they begin to read. Jackson County's is one of three public libraries in the state participating in the nationwide Mother Goose pilot program. The attempt to weave science into a learning-to-read program is sponsored by the National Science Foundation. The Mother Goose project involves 14 states. A sister project is in the works for next year focusing on math: "You Can Count on Mother Goose." For Jackson County librarians, it isn't just the science aspect of preschool reading that's new. For the first time this fall, librarians are going into high schools to lead sessions for teen parents. Librarians are at South Medford now, and will move on to North Medford in January. Librarian Pat Blair hopes the program can ease the demands on teen parents by helping them a bit with their children and giving them some insight into how young children learn. "They are busy students and busy parents," Blair says. Older parents participated in the first round of "Mother Goose Asks `Why?"' last year at White City and Roosevelt elementary schools. The idea of the sessions, says Blair, is to give parents step-by-step ways to get young children to start thinking about simple science. "We're trying to say that science is every day," Blair says. One lesson, for example, presents parents with two children's stories about man's efforts to fly. Then, librarians go through accompanying science kit materials that cover the basics of aerodynamics using the wings of maple seeds, the drifting of paper airplanes and the habits of floating soap bubbles. The materials encourage parents to talk about what their children are seeing and doing: why soap bubble are round, and why the paper airplane flies while a tight wad of paper falls to the ground. The program supplies parents with nine children's books, plus a science kit outfitted with all of the materials and a manual for science projects linked to the stories. Each kit and set of books is about $75. Blair says the library has been given enough supplies to reach about 130 parents so far. Mail Tribune Copyright � The Mail Tribune 1999, Medford, Oregon USA