Why?
While technology has a place in our schools and homes, we believe that authentic texts are just as important in building connections between members of a family, and between the reader and the text. There is something to be said for a family member and a child sharing an experience reading and enjoying an actual book together. Reading doesn’t come naturally and takes a lot of brain power. Parents and family members can support this process through engaging in joint reading, prompting thinking, and assisting in building background knowledge and vocabulary. Playing reading games that directly connect to creating brain pathways to decoding and understanding text can boost a child’s success. Let’s take a break from screens and make connections while accelerating learning!
How?
Using The Dual Capacity-Building Framework for Family-School Partnerships out of Harvard School of Education, we have built supports that address:
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Opportunities to deepen relationships through events that link learning for parents to the partnership.
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Build and enhance the capacity of both staff and families in the areas of: capabilities, connections, cognition, and confidence.
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Provide outcomes that honor and recognize the families’ funds of knowledge, connect family engagement to learning, and create welcoming cultures.
What?
We have developed literacy (and soon to come math) event kits that support staff in bridging the partnership, giving parents the opportunity to grow their skills in working with their child to improve literacy progress. These kits allow staff to model, interact, and coach parents through activities built using the science of reading research. The activities give parents active practice opportunities while engaging with school staff.
These kits alleviate the need for staff to plan these events beyond their daily job duties, streamlining the planning. They provide all necessary materials, directions, and recommendations for a one-to-two-hour event. ​