What Parents Can Do!

Involving families in literacy will only benefit the child. This can be something as little as reading signs on the way to work, or reading a story together every night. There are so many ways to have families be involved in literacy.

http://www.getreadytoread.org/early-learning-childhood-basics/early-literacy/promoting-family-literacy-raising-ready-readers

This website above provides a few ideas that a teacher can encourage families to participate in making their child more literate.

1. Books- Families need to establish a special place to put their children books such as a bookshelf or a safe place where they can be easily reached. When families place an importance of taking care of their books, then the children will copy their behavior. 
2. Storytelling- Having the family story tell about their family history can promote literacy through establishing fluency. A way to do is to "start by having an older member of the family tell a story about a major family event (wedding, birthday, graduation). Afterward, ask a younger member of the family to re-tell the story in his or her own words. Family members should be supportive when the child misses an important element and help the child pronounce key vocabulary words like names of relatives, locations, etc. This activity helps build vocabulary, understand sequencing and recall information." 
3. Writing notes- It is important to practice and encourage writing skills in young children. One way to do this is by writing notes to other family members on a regular basis. Also, parents are encouraged to leave notes in a lunch box, around the house, or even slipping a note underneath a pillow. Exhibiting writing can encourage young children to cop your behavior. 
4. Using the library- TAKE ADVANTAGE OF FREE LIBRARY RESOURCES! "Visiting the library together is a great way to foster family literacy activities. Not only do libraries often offer access to books on a wide range of literacy levels and subjects, libraries often have books in several languages as well. Adults and children can improve their literacy skills by reading books in the family's first language and then reading the same book in English"

Another way a teacher can encourage literacy with families is hosting a literacy family night! This can be really simple and beneficial for families and students!

Here is a video highlighting the benefits of literacy family nights!