Immigrant Families Support Children’s Learning With PALS

"Parents encourage their children to learn through play," says Zipporah Min, a co-facilitator for PALS sessions at Langley's Douglas Park elementary school. "The kids become less shy through participation in hands-on, group activities, and this makes it easier for them to adjust when they enter kindergarten."

PALS in Immigrant Communities, a program operated by 2010 Legacies Now program with support from the Government of Canada and the Province of B.C., is a pilot program available in six Lower Mainland communities. At Douglas Park, the sessions are led by two facilitators, an English speaker and a Karen speaker.

Min says the parents who attend the PALS sessions benefit just as much as the children. "One young mom, who was 17, became more comfortable with the school environment as she played and learned with her baby," says Min. "This inspired her to go back to school to further her own education."

Min says all the children who attend the sessions at Douglas Park were born in refugee camps, where living conditions were difficult and toys and learning materials were nonexistent. With PALS, the families are able to share ideas and take home books and activities, so they can continue to encourage learning at home.

Hser Gay Thaw, a mother who participates in the program, says she and her child enjoy using all the materials that are supplied. "I like to attend PALS because it helps me to help my child be ready for school."

PALS in Immigrant Communities is based on Parents As Literacy Supporters, a culturally-responsive early literacy program developed by Dr. Jim Anderson and Fiona Morrison and supported by 2010 Legacies Now. The program is currently active in 26 school districts and more than 220 sites throughout B.C.

Parents as Literacy Supporters (PALS) provides families with fun, interactive activities to encourage learning in preschool and kindergarten-aged children. The program is active in 21 school districts and more than 220 locations throughout BC.

In 2008, PALS began a three-year pilot program for immigrant families, offered in English combined with Farsi, Karen, Mandarin, Punjabi or Vietnamese. The pilot program is offered in Abbotsford, Burnaby, Langley, North Vancouver and Surrey.

PALS was co-developed by Dr. Jim Anderson, a professor at the University of British Columbia, and Fiona Morrison, director of family literacy and early learning for 2010 Legacies Now. PALS is supported by the Province of British Columbia.