The Los Angeles Times from Los Angeles, California • Page 42

B2 SUNDAY. MARCH 28. 1999 LOS ANGELES TIMES ADING The ABCs of helping youngsters achieve literacy the first skill Head of the Class READING TIPS AND NOTES INSIGHTS FROM THE CLASSROOM Nancy Ichinaga is the principal of Bennett-Kew Elementary School in the Inglewood Unified School District, and served on a task force that helped draft Gov. Gray Davis1 education agenda. 1 I I lllll Illllllll- A ccountability is the name of the game in the -education reform 'You don't stop developing at 3 years or at 10 years.

It's a lifelong Peter Manglone Expert on early childhood learning ROBERT LACHM AN Los Angeles TimM Brain Power movement. But accountability must be more than the scores on the Stanford 9 exam at the end of the school year. Children and teachers must be held accountable throughout the year for learning and teaching if the reform movement is going to be successful. During an information meeting last spring on the new state testing program, a parent asked if students would be passed or retained on the basis of Stanford 9 test results. My response was that if any child was going to be retained, his or her parents would have known about it long before the Stanford 9 was administered.

The Stanford 9 results should hold no surprises for any parents if a school does its job of keeping them apprised of their children's academic progress throughout the year. The Stanford 9 should not be the only testing that is done in school. Interim testing should be going on in every school throughout the year to see how well teachers are teaching and how well children are learning the school's curriculum. In the Inglewood Unified School District, we use the Open Court reading program in kindergarten through grade three. The program is organized so that tests are administered every six to eight weeks to monitor progress in each classroom.

The results of these tests are turned in to Open Court "coaches" expert reading teachers from the district who chart scores in different skill areas for each classroom. By charting test results, principals, coaches and teachers can tell at a glance where weaknesses are in every classroom, and interventions can be planned immediately. Teachers use their test data at weekly grade level meetings to plan strategies for their next unit of instruction, with special emphasis on areas of need. At these meetings struggling readers and their specific weaknesses are identified, and out-of-class interventions may be planned. These interventions include reading labs that cover special lessons, tutoring during and after school, and participation in small group instruction in the afternoon.

Typically there is good improvement in most classrooms as the year progresses. For example, in the eighth week of school, 32 of first-graders read fluently as measured by the Open Court fluency test. In the 26th week of school, 68 of the first-graders passed the fluency benchmark. Similarly, 48 of third-graders passed the vocabulary benchmark in the sixth week, while 69 passed that mark in the 18th week. Other grade levels have made similar gains in reading fluency, comprehension and vocabulary.

The periodic testing is most effective in keeping teachers and children accountable. It is a way to ensure that children do well on the Stanford 9 at the end of the year. BOOK EVENTS Monday In Lo Angeles: "The Spring Fling" story time at the Robert Louis Stevenson Branch Library will include stories about spring and egg decorating for children and their parents. 803 (323) 268-4710. Tuesday In Pasadena: Tales for Tots at Barnes Noble bookstore will include readings of "If You Give a Pig a Pancake," "If You Give a Moose a Muffin" and "If You Give a Mouse a Cookie," all by L.

Numeroff. Ill W. Colorado 10 a.m. (626) 585-0362. Thursday In Los Angeles: Story time at Washington Irving Branch Library will be a celebration of spring.

1803 S. Arlington 3 p.m. (323)734-6303. Saturday In Culver City: Story time at Bookstar bookstore for children of all ages. 11000 W.

Jefferson 11 a.m. (310) 391-0818. QotAnjttuShtw make sure they are regularly working with her and monitoring her progress. The district's Even Start program now serves 30 families, and there's a waiting list of 65 others. The district is seeking additional funding to help more families, said Donna Stapleton, Even Start coordinator.

"It's so important to expose children to good reading habits before they get to kindergarten," Stapleton said. "The kindergarten teachers can pick out the Even Start students. They have expressive language, they know their colors and are more willing to participate in class." Sylvia's dad, Fernando Flores, said he is seeing the fruits of such efforts: Sylvia is picking up words and forming sentences much faster than did her 9-year-old brother, Jesus, who did not go through Even Start Already, Sylvia shows a love for books. And even though she cannot read the words, she insists that her father point at the pictures and explain the story. "It opens her mind and builds her vocabulary, Fernando Flores said.

"It also gives her the interest in books." zoo animals were 30 smaller than those of animals that lived in a more natural and richer environment A 17-week-old fetus has 1 billion brain cells that have not been fully connected. By the time a child is born, hundreds of thousands of synapses have been made, but millions more are needed. There are 100 billion brain cells that need to get connected. And 1,000 trillion synapses eventually form. The brain of a 2-year-old consumes twice as much energy as an adult brain.

More brain activity occurs in the first three years of life than in an adult brain. The brain involves not only intellectual development, but also the regulation of emotions and coordination of motions. "We're talking about the whole person development when we're talking about the brain," Mangione said. "You don't stop developing at three years or at 10 years. It's a lifelong endeavor." Such evidence has helped boost public support in early literacy programs.

Examples include Head Start, a federal program for low-income preschoolers, and Even Start, which focuses on family literacy and early childhood development for needy families. Through the Even Start program, Sylvia Flores' parents have become loyal readers and play an active role in her learning. Virtually from the moment she was born, they say, they have read to her nightly, spoken to her clearly and often, and filled her ears with language, words and their meanings. And on a monthly basis, Even Start instructor Julissa Aleman visits the Flores home to provide books and reading lessons. She also quizzes Sylvia's parents to By TIN A NGUYEN TIMES STAFF WRITER A plastic cup, animal figurines and a black sock help 2-year-old Sylvia Flores to read.

Placing the pieces inside the cup that is covered by the sock, Sylvia's dad asks her to reach in and fish out the cow trinket. It's not an easy task, but after several attempts, the curly-haired toddler yanks out the four-legged animal and shouts, "Vaca.1" Although the lessons are in Spanish, they are key in developing Sylvia's language, vocabulary and word association skills all of which are fundamental to early learning. It is these types of interactive activities that nourish a young child's mind, say educators and researchers. Unlike many other human organs, the brain is not fully developed at birth. Instead, its growth heavily relies on the child's environment For that reason, parents are encouraged through early literacy programs such as the Huntington Beach Qcean View School District's Even Start-to expose their children to a book-rich and interactive environment.

"You do not come into the world with a fully developed brain," said Peter Man-gione, an expert on early childhood learning. "It's that genetic blueprint that interacts with the world that creates the architecture of the brain." With advanced technology, scientists now can map and study brain activity. Research has shown that the first three years of a child's life are crucial in "wiring" the brain. Consider these facts, presented by Man-gione at a recent literacy conference: Studies have found that the brains of Young children's minds are shaped by their environment, so exposing them to language and books is crucial. Programs such as Even Start show parents how.

GETTING IN TOUCH and MORE ON READING If you have questions for our experts, send them to Reading Page Editor, Los Angeles Times, Times Mirror Square, Los Angeles, 90053 or send e-mail to readinglatimes.com. For stories and activities, see the Kids' Reading Room in the Southern California Living section every Sunday through Friday. Check It Out Fourth and fifth grade: "Funny You Should Ask," by Marvin Terban, illustrated by John O'Brien. Language arts is fun with this book about how to make up jokes and riddles using word-play. Storytime r.

Books recommended by Bene Abramson, senior librarian, Los Angeles Public April is a good month to turn kids into book lovers by reading funny stories about charming fools. Toddler and preschool: "Silly Sally," by Audrey Wood. Follow the adventures of Silly Sally, who went to town "walking backward, upside-down." Preschool and kindergarten: "The Dumb Bunnies," by Sue Denim, illustrated by Dav Pilkey. A family of rabbits goes through life merrily partaking in unconventional activities. Some of the books to be read on KCETs" Storytime" Monday-Friday, 8 a.m.

and 1:30 p.m. "Contrary Mary," by Anita Jeram One morning, Mary the mouse wakes up feeling contrary and decides to do everything the opposite of what she is supposed Discovering Books WHEN THE READING LIGHT WENT ON Calvin Nalto, manager of communications for the Federal Reserve In Los Angeles The light switch came on in three stages. The first stage was my early childhood. I had a good start thanks to my family. My parents were happy and supportive.

Both tried to develop me and teach me even though their education was limited. They were very young and from Hawaii. At the time my dad was going to L. A. City College.

My mom never went to college. I still have a memory of my mom reading an orange book to me while hugging me. I don't remember the title, but I remember her being concerned with helping me learn to read. Even now, it moves me when I think about it. The second stage was my search for myself and life's answers.

I was 19 and just finished my first year of college. I was depressed and unhappy and had no purpose in life. I was asking myself, "Who am I and what do I want to do in my life?" That summer, I took my first college literature class. That's when my reading really picked up. I wanted to find answers, and I thought I'd find it in literature.

I got interested in biographies of professional athletes and politicians like Robert F. Kennedy. I tried to learn from their lives, and I discovered that many of them were going through the same things I was going through. Even the famous had difficulties. It was in this second stage that the light grew brighter.

The third phase is going on today. Because of reading and my education, I have this capacity to to do. (Themes: cooperation, Kino listens family, feelings, opposites. to stories on "Storytime" "If," by Sarah Perry A colorful picture book that contains a collage of fantasy scenarios that encourage the reader to think up more stories at the end of the book. (Themes: imagination and fantasy.) First and second grades: "Strudel, Strudel, Strudel," by Steve Sanfield, illustrated by Emily Lisker.

This picture book introduces children to the illogical reasoning of the hilarious fools of Chelm as it explains why a teacher may not live on a hill, own a trunk with wheels or eat apple strudel. ROBERT GAUTHIER Lob Angelea Times Calvin Naito learn. That is my most valuable quality because it gives me confidence to overcome life's problems and obstacles. The light is now fully on. As long as your reading light is on, no matter how bad your circumstances, there will always be hope in your life.

You will eventually find answers to your problems. It's really a source of great hope and confidence. Third grade: "Amelia Bedelia," by Peggy Parish. Silly adventures of the housekeeper who gets into trouble with her literal-minded thinking. "Listen, Buddy," by Helen Lester Buddy is a rabbit with big, beautiful ears who never listens until the day he meets a bad-tempered varmint who threatens to put Buddy into his soup.

(Themes: responsibility and cooperation.) A.