Family Literacy Resources
Family engagement plays a vital role in student success. This section is designed to support families in fostering literacy at home by providing accessible, practical resources and strategies that can be used in everyday routines. Materials are tailored for family use and include guidance on supporting reading and writing development, encouraging positive learning habits, and building confidence in learners. By partnering with families and offering user-friendly tools, this section aims to strengthen home–school connections and promote student growth across academic and social-emotional areas.
Florida Center for Reading Research for Families: This website is dedicated to ensuring that all children read and succeed in school. Children begin learning to read at home through consistent interactions with parents and caregivers, and this learning continues as they grow and learn in school. Here, parents, caregivers, and families can find resources to support their children’s reading. Use these evidence-based and evidence-informed resources to improve reading outcomes.
How Can I Support My Adolescent's Development as a Writer? (¿Cómo puedo apoyar el desarrollo de mi hijo como escritor?): This guidance document, available in English and Spanish, helps parents and guardians review their adolescent’s writing and offer feedback and suggestions to support improvement during the writing process.
Empowering Parents-Reading Rockets Parents' Guide: This guide describes simple ways parents and caregivers can help children become strong readers. It also highlights signs that a child may be having difficulty learning to read so that families can seek support early.
¡Colorín Colorado! Multilingual Tips for Families: Multilingual families can support their child’s literacy, education, and social-emotional development in many ways. These resources—available in multiple languages, including Russian, Portuguese, and Hindi—offer practical tips and ideas to use at home. For additional support, explore the ¡Colorín Colorado! multilingual family literacy video series and the bilingual family literacy guides.
Ten Ways for Parents to Help Teachers: Here are 10 simple yet powerful ways parents and guardians can support teachers and reinforce their young children’s learning at home.
Children and Digital Media: Rethinking Parent Roles: Learn what you, as a parent or guardian, can do to help your young learner navigate the digital world.
Reading Rockets-Launching Young Readers: Literacy At Home: Discover how to support your child’s growth as a young reader and writer.
Children and Digital Media: Rethinking Parent Roles: Learn how parents and guardians can help young learners navigate the digital world and build healthier relationships with technology.
Step Up to Spelling Words: This video, part of A Kindergarten Teacher's Guide to Supporting Family Involvement in Foundational Reading Skills, depicts a mother encouraging her daughter to practice spelling words. It provides an example of how to support literacy development at home, specifically encoding (the ability to translate speech into print using knowledge of sound-symbol correspondences), a higher-level cognitive process that includes working memory, inhibition, and cognitive flexibility.
National Center on Improving Literacy: By embracing your role as an advocate and partnering with your child’s school, you can work toward common goals that ensure their literacy needs are understood and supported.
AdLit - All About Adolescent Literacy Families and Schools: Families are critical to students’ academic success. These articles discuss the importance of teachers and parents working together for kids.