Today I started my Literacy Bag revamping project. Since I will now only have one class, I decided to take the bags that I have (currently two sets with about 12 bags in each) and create a new and improved set. I purchased all new bags from Michael's and was disappointed to find that they are now more expensive and cost 2.99 each instead of 2.00. I think in the past I got them on sale at the end of the summer, but since I needed as many as I could find, I wanted to make sure to go before they went on clearance. I purchased 13 new bags and already had a few extras from last year, so I am hoping to make a new set of at least 15 or 16 bags. Ideally, I would have more, but it's expensive to put them together and I will no longer get a double stipend from our PSO, so I have to manage my money more carefully this year.
This morning I spent some time decorating the new bags...
That was the easy part because I like coloring and drawing.
The more challenging part is making sure each bag has a good selection of 3-5 books related to the bag's theme and an educational activity that kids can do at home with their parents.
With a really nice donation from DonorsChoose, I was able to create these bags two years ago. I got lots of great books on topics that Kinders are interested in and added some fun games/activities I purchased from Lakeshore. The problem is, over time, many things have gotten lost/damaged/dirty. It's really hard to send things home and have them come back fully in tact. I include an itemized list in each bag that lists all the book titles and all of the items related to the games with specific number counts such as 5 blue letter game pieces, 5 red letter game pieces etc. I indicate in the directions that parents should check the items in the bags against the list before using the bag so that if anything is missing I can check with the family who had the bag the previous week. I also have a parent helper go through all the bags each week to check for missing items. That way, if something is missing, I send home a note saying what was not returned or I send home a note if the entire bag was not returned. I have had pretty good luck with families finding/returning items after notes go home, but there are always instances when things just go missing and don't turn up/don't come back. That is the really frustrating part because then the itemized list needs to be changed so that other families know what items were already missing...
So now that the bags have been in use for 2 years, I need to go back and spruce them up. I will have to go back to my inventory lists and see what items are not accounted for, then try to buy new games so they are complete or just change the list to account for the items I no longer have.
I always start out wanting to be really strict about these bags, with ideas such as not sending anymore home once a family loses an item or fails to return bags on time more than two times. Yet, ultimately I created these bags so that kids have books and activities at home. It seems counter productive to be punitive things get lost in the process of families using them. On the other hand though, these bags probably average about $20 per bag, maybe more if you add up the cost of the books, the bag itself, the games etc. I hate it when things get lost...especially when books get lost or damaged. One thing I feel the need to be very clear about is that these bags should not be used by the students without parent supervision/involvement and younger siblings should not be permitted to play with the books and materials because I think that is the source of how many things get lost/torn. I always struggle with how to word the letter I send home inviting parents to participate in the literacy bags. I don't want to sound threatening, yet I want to really emphasize that the bags and materials need to be taken care of.
Some of the things I'd like to say are....
Please don't eat/drink while using them so the bag is returned sticky from a spill or with crumbs inside
Please don't let your child take the bag to his her room and dump everything out so that things get lost under the bed
Please don't let your child dump the bag out in the car
Please don't bring the bag on a weekend trip and leave it at your hotel
Please don't let your toddler chew on a book and tear the cover off
Please don't send the bag back with 2 of the 4 books and say you can't find the rest
I think this year I am going to hold off on sending home the note about these bags until October. Typically I talk about them at Back to School night and give the letter/permission slip then, but I think parents get too much information and the rules about the bags are not entirely absorbed. Maybe if I wait until later in the school year, parents will take more time to read over the information. Some parents are SO cautious and really concerned, yet I get the sense others don't use the bag with their child and then don't seem to care too much/have any idea when things are missing...
I still have a lot of work to do to make these bags ready to go, but I am happy I at least got them decorated. There are still a few more at school, so I will probably have to get some more new bags at Michaels so I can make sure each bag is brand new and redone. I think while I have them at home I will also go through the books and see if I need to order any new books or if I can find any better books to go in them.
I am thinking maybe I should do a Pete the Cat bag or a Knuffle Bunny bag, yet those are stories that I really enjoy introducing the kids to and seeing their reactions when they hear them for the first time.
Have you ever used Literacy Bags?
How do you handle parents who aren't responsible?
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