Parents who read to their children everyday and talk about what they are reading together promote a joy of reading and literacy achievement. One way a teacher can encourage reading at home with families and help support the role of parents as educators is through take home literacy packs. The great thing about literacy packs is that they can be personalized by different teachers to fit the interests of different students. The books can be fiction or non-fiction accompanied by interactive activities that children can bring home to share with their families. The books and activities can then be placed in a zip top bag and sent home with students. The teacher can have a multitude of different literacy packs that he/she rotates around the classroom. When the children and their families complete the pack, they can send it with their student back to school for another classmate to have.
A take home literacy adventure pack program can have many important benefits. It can promote family literacy by showing the value of learning and literacy when families can read to their children. It also provides families with the resources needed to promote reading readiness. If there are English Language Learners in the classroom it can promote English language development by having picture books that can be read aloud to the children with their families. It also helps build family values by encouraging a fun ritual of children and parents coming together to read and do activities together.
I thought it was also important that you mentioned how important it is for the family to be just as involved in their child's literacy as the teacher is in the classroom. Literacy within the home and school life is so important and this is such an awesome way to bridge a child's school and home life.
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