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About Portland observer. (Portland, Or.) 1970-current | View Entire Issue (Feb. 27, 1985)
Portland Observer, February 27, 1965, Page 3 METROPOLITAN brouybi to you every week by Pen pals improve reading skills by Robert Lotbtan The pen pals in Faye Lewison's reading and w ritin g im provem ent class at W oodlawn School can hardly wait for I heir mail to come. They receive up to five letters a week each from adults who write to them about their jobs and the com m unity. The pen pals program is a window on the w orld fo r the ch il dren: some have gotten letters from as far away as England and India. Lewison says reading skills improve because the children are motivated to read their letters. " T h e y work hard to sound out the words and are quick ly adding to the ones they already know,” she said. Because they answer each letter, the students' w riting is also improving. They learn about the community by asking questions o f the adults — a lawyer, a computer operator, execu tives, a landscaper, an Olympic wres tling coach, a photographer and others. The students also take field trips to visit the adults at w ork, and the adults visit the school. “ I t ’ s really a good program be cause it's bringing a lot o f people from the community into the schools, said Lesley U nthank director o f the Peninsula Park Com m unity Center. She visited her pen pal at W oodlawn recently. " I t lets the kids know what kind o f jobs are out there, and it helps their writing, too,” she added. Roy Pittman, recreation director at Peninsula Park, wrote to his pen pal, nine-year-old M a rk Laupe, about how he coached an Olympic wrestling team. “ M ark explains to me what he likes, when he’s having a good day, and when he's progressing," said Pitt man. " G e ttin g a letter from M a rk really makes my day because it brings me back to reality. I t ’s amazing what a nine-year-old can do in a le tte r." They have lunch together at the school and P ittm an helps M a rk w ith his grammar “ For some o f these kids, it's their first positive base with an adult," said Lewison. The pen pal idea came to her while sitting around the breakfast table with friends. She wanted to try a new ap proach to teaching reading and w rit ing to children having trouble, some thing that would get them excited and m otivated. " W e really need to find some innovative ways to learn ," she said. N o w , some o f the children d o n ’ t want to leave when it’s time to go to another class, and other students who had poked fun now want to be pen pals. T h e program is taking over the school, said Lewison. ■■■ Youngster« in Fay Lewison'« class gat help w ith their letters to their pen pels from W oodlaw n teacher« (l-r) Judith Lilly. Faya Lewison and (Photo: Richard J. Brown) Lesley Unthank, a pen pal. " I never realized all the things we would learn through th is ," she said. “ These kids and adults have just been sharing life.” One o f the adults wrote to her pen pal. Heidi Long, a fifth grader, using Chinese characters to explain her dog’s name. "Dear M a rc ia ," begins Heidi's re turn letter. " Y o u r Chinese w riting was nice. I am barely over my cold. How is your dog? W hat is the name o f your company? W hen you get to San Francisco, please w rite to me. M y favorite pel is a rabbit. When will I get to see you?" A young boy was actually m o ti vated to learn to read and w rite be cause he was so excited about get ting letters fro m C a lifo rn ia , said Lewison. " T h e y want to read other kids* letters, too,” she said. Adults have sent pictures and post cards. Another took the class to the Christmas Day Trail Blazer game with promotional tickets. The children are learning to type w ith a typew riter donated by an executive, and when they found out that one o f the adult pen pals w orked fo r M c D o n a ld ’s, "th ere was dead silence” for a m o ment, said Lew iston. A package of cookies and balloons resulted One student called the postmaster to ask a question about the mail, and the children are learning to compute simple math problems as they figure postage, said Lewison. AM ERICAN STATE BANK M I M I * U IMU» I U tK J S It « S U M A N U COWOMATIQN A single silicon chip the size o f a baby’ s fingernail may soon be speeding phone calls more efficiently than ever before in offices across the nation. • Some people say a knife or nail in your pocket w ill keep the elves from lifting you up at nigh,. Vermont became the firs, state to grant the vote to jail adult men in 1777. ess W e d o not d o business w ith S o u th A fric a American State Bank AN INDEPENDENT BANK Mead Office 2 7 Ì7 N E. Union Portland, Oregon 97212 A Little HISTORY Youth week P o rtlan d's Pioneer Square is the setting fort the second annual Youth Week " K ic k -O ff,” Friday, M arch 1 from 4-9 p.m. Mayor Bud Clark, Portland School D istrict superintendent M atth ew P ro p h e t, C ity Com m issioner M a r garet Strachan and other o ffic ia ls join local DJs and five music groups in this event, said Ken A d air, Youth Week K ick-O ff chairperson. Youth Week highlights the contri butions o f young people to the com munity Music groups set for the K ic k -O ff include Electric Strawberries, Shock, Pocket D o ll, Street C orner Singers and the Cleveland Jazz Band Sabrina’s Hair BOUTIQUE Total Lino of Beauty Specializing in the latest trend* on ill types of hew Include! facials. curtí, and many other fu h ro n i 3801 N.E. Union - 287 0978 SOUL CITY RECORDS SEARS SALUTES BLACK HISTORY MONTH—FEBRUARY 1985 o n July 29, 1982, Pacific Northw est History w as m ade in Seattle, W ashington when Empire Way was offically renam ed Martin Luther King, Jr. Way. Sears is proud to support the continued efforts of the Black Media to recognize and pay tribute to Black H istorians everywhere. Record« - Pool Table« - Video Game« - Top 100 ’New Relaa»aa Albums - 46a - Cassettes N. Killingsw orth 11:00a.m . -0 :0 0 p .m . SËAIRS
