Resources
Materials
Channing L. Bete Co., Inc. How to Improve Your Listening Skills(1995). Channing L. Bete, Co. Inc. 200 State Road, South Deerfied, MA 03 173-0200. 16 pgs., $1.00 (if you are ordering more than 100, the cost is $.55 each and the covers can be personalized). This easy-to-read booklet impresses upon readers the effectiveness of good listening skills and their link to stronger relationships and the prevention of costly mistakes. It explains how to overcome barriers and use eyes and ears to "tune" into the speaker's messages.Dean, Christiann. Parent-Caregiver Partnerships: Communication Workshops for Parents and Child Care Providers (1992). Cornell University Media Services, Resource Center, #7 Business and Technical Park, Ithaca, NY 14850. Telephone (607) 255-2080. 131 pages, $25.50. Developed for the Cornell University Parent-Caregiver Partnership, this publication lays out five, two-hour workshops designed to enhance communication between the child-care provider and the parent. The workshops titles are: Partnerships Between Parents and Caregivers, Listening Well, Saying What You Mean Clearly and Respectfully, Resolving Conflicts and Handling Blame and Criticism, and Panel Discussion and Work Session.
ERIC. Communicating with Culturally Diverse Parents of Exceptional Children (1991). ERIC Clearinghouse on Handicapped and Gifted Children, 1920 Association Drive, Reston, VA 22901-1589. Telephone 1-800- 328-0272. 2 pages, $1. This ERIC Digest explains the need to be culturally aware when dealing with parents of exceptional children. It discusses using language parents can understand, cultural sensitivity, and the need to provide parents with information. It also stresses the need to support parents as they are learning to participate in the system and to encourage parental participation at home.
PLAN, Inc. Just Say It! How to Write for Readers Who Don't Write Well (1992). PLAN, Inc., 1528 Pennsylvania Ave., S.E., Washington, D.C. 20003. (202) 547-8903. 132 pages, $54. This manual describes the tools and techniques for creating easy-to-read print materials. It includes practice exercises and an annotated bibliography.
Robbins, Harvey A. How to Speak and Listen Effectively (1992).
American Management Association, 135 W. 50th St., New York, NY 10020. 80 pgs., $10.95. This book is based upon the premise that individual and team success is influenced by quality relationships and quality communication. How to Speak uses a down-to-earth approach to the process of communication, as explained in its four chapters: "Why Don't People Communicate Better?", "Eliminate the Negatives," "Accentuate the Positives," and "Practice Makes Communication Easier." The book will be useful for anyone involved in communication, including parents, educators, and administrators.Scholastic, Inc. Parent Communication TIPS (1992). Early Childhood Division, 730 Broadway, New York, NY, 64 pages, $9.95. This eclectic accumulation of sixty, one-page tips gives readers a jump start to involvement in their children's development and education. All tips are reproducible send-homes. Parent Communication TIPS is split into four sections: "Learning through Play," "Health and Safety," "Cooking and Nutrition," and "Special Situations." The publication provides references to other organizations..
Slack, Jennifer. "Teaching Tips for Learning Centers: Welcoming Parents into the Classroom." NHSA Journal, Summer 1993. Vol. 12, No. 1, pages 47-50. This article offers insights for Head Start teachers on involving parents as observers and volunteers in the classroom. It in cludes ideas on communication that enable staff and parents to keep in touch.
Resource Organization
American Speech-Language-Hearing Association (ASHA). 10801
Rockville Pike, Rockville, MD 20852. Consumer Help Line 1-800-638-8255. This organization has a wealth of information on delays and disabilities in language, speech, and hearing. It has print and video resources and also makes referrals to care providers as well as to community and state resources.