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 Ignite Literacy Development at Home!

Engaging Families is a series of five 90-minute early childhood literacy workshops with videos, hands-on activities, and a Workshop Leader’s Guide with step-by-step support for involving families in their children’s literacy growth. These easy-to-implement workshops show parents how to practice literacy in every area of a child’s life: in the living room, kitchen, and bathroom, and when they are out and about in the community.

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Families learn how to practice literacy throughout the day.
Each workshop reinforces the six core areas of literacy:

Concepts of Print

Concepts of Print

Showing the front and back of a book and running fingers under words as we read helps children to grasp the concepts of print.

Comprehension

Comprehension

Dramatic play can become a forum for reenacting a story, thus deepening comprehension.

Writing

Writing

Drawing pictures, scribbling, and eventually writing letters and words all help children learn that writing communicates meaning.

Phonological Awareness

Phonological Awareness

Singing, rhyming, and playing word games with children increases their phonological awareness, a strong predictor of later literacy.

Letter-Sound Knowledge

Letter-Sound Knowledge

Finding letters and words on household items helps children identify letters and their associated sounds.

Oral Language

Oral Language

Mealtime conversations - accelerate oral language and vocabulary development, which contributes to later reading success.

Components

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Help families in creating literacy-rich environments at home with

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  • A step-by-step Workshop Leader's Guide with plans, schedules, activities, and tips for boosting attendance and more.
  • Five high-interest read-aloud books.
  • Five videos of real families modeling literacy in the home and in the community.
  • Beyond Bedtime Stories, 2nd edition professional  development book.
Engaging Families | Early Literacy Development | Scholastic
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Help families in creating literacy-rich environments at home with

GRADE LABEL
  • A step-by-step Workshop Leader's Guide with plans, schedules, activities, and tips for boosting attendance and more.
  • Five high-interest read-aloud books.
  • Five videos of real families modeling literacy in the home and in the community.
  • Beyond Bedtime Stories, 2nd edition professional  development book.
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Sample Activities from the “In the Kitchen” Session:
Concepts of Print

Concepts of Print Center

Reading Recipes: Families read an easy recipe together and follow the steps to make a healthy and tasty snack.

Sample Activities from the “In the Kitchen” Session:
Writing Center

Writing Center

Making Grocery Lists: Families make a list together. Children record the items by listening for beginning letter sounds and writing the letters that they think represent them.

Sample Activities from the “In the Kitchen” Session:
Phonological Awareness Center

Phonological Awareness Center

Crazy Dinners: Families play a game that invites children to match pictures of foods that begin with the same sounds.

Sample Activities from the “In the Kitchen” Session:
Letter-Sound Knowledge Center

Letter-Sound Knowledge Center

Magnet Letters: Using magnetic letters, families find letters and build words to help children identify letters and their sounds.

Sample Activities from the “In the Kitchen” Session:
Comprehension Center

Comprehension Center

Table Talk: Families ask open-ended questions that help children organize their thoughts, recall events, retell stories, and plan future activities as they answer.

Sample Activities from the “In the Kitchen” Session:
Oral Language Center

Oral Language Center

What Do You Need to Make A…?: Families name and discuss the purpose and uses for various cooking tools, building children’s vocabulary through conversation.

How It Works

Virtual, in-person, as a one off or as a series, the Workshop Leader's Guide provides step-by-step information for how to set up and lead each of the five 90-minute sessions. Although the content and activities for each session vary, the structure remains the same:

Welcome and Introduction

Welcome and Introduction

Families are greeted and then browse the activities while children are supervised in a separate area.

Video Viewing and Discussion

Video Viewing and Discussion

Families view videos showing real families in everyday literacy activities. Leaders discuss how families can incorporate similar activities into their day.

Literacy Activities Overview

Literacy Activities Overview

Leader introduces the session’s literacy activities, explaining how each activity supports language and literacy development.

Family Participation in Literacy Activities

Family Participation in Literacy

Children join their families for activities at each of the six literacy centers.

Meet Our Program Authors

Nell Duke

Nell K. Duke

Ed.D., University of Michigan
Expert in early literacy development, particularly for children living in poverty

Kathryn Roberts

Kathryn L. Roberts

Ph.D., Wayne State University
Expert in early childhood and family literacy, literacy in the content areas, and bilingual and bicultural literacy education

Gail Jordan

Gail E. Jordan

Literacy Researcher
Expert in early childhood language and literacy and early literacy intervention

Easy Ways to Get Started

Email Us

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Call 1.800.387.1437

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