Resources for Families
There are many resources available for families to continue promoting literacy education at home, and to ensure that your child is getting solid reading instruction.
Attend an Open House: take opportunities to engage with your school to learn more about what your child is doing in the classroom.
We encourage parents to attend Open House nights and other opportunities to engage with the school and school leadership so they can ask questions like, is my child receiving regular, direct instruction in reading and writing? What types of texts are they using? Do they get 30 minutes or more a day to develop these skills?
Ask your child about their work: Check in with your child and ask if they are enjoying reading and if they understand what they are reading about.
Can your child retell the stories they are reading or learning about? If you were to stop your child midway through a text, could they explain what they’re reading about? Can they retell a story that you’re reading with them?
Practice Understanding: comprehension skills go beyond just books! Children can use art, maps, games, and other media to practice decoding and comprehension skills important to literacy.
Read! When children see other members of their family reading, writing, and engaging with texts, they are more excited about reading. Reading together is also a great way to build skills outside of the classroom. We also believe that seeing other members of the family reading, writing, and engaging with texts is a great way to encourage students in these skills outside of the classroom.
For more resources to support reading and literacy at home, visit our Literacy page, which provides activities and ideas to help students continue learning beyond the classroom.