On September 22, Advancing Literacy at Teachers College hosted our first Parent and Caregiver Day of the year. We were so proud to host this event and thrilled that so many of you came! Keep reading for a quick rundown of the day (and don’t forget that there will be a whole series of FREE workshops for families and caregivers throughout the year).
Dr. Mary Ehrenworth launched the day by reminding all of us of the powerful impact families have in supporting our children’s literacy development. She helped us to understand how storytelling is a human endeavor that helps us make sense of not only our own lives but of the world. With that in mind, she led us in a few important directions:
There is power in reading to and with our children.
Reading books that help children both see themselves AND learn about others in the world is critical, and she leaned on the groundbreaking research of Dr. Rudine Sims Bishop to explain why.
Creating a culture of reading and curiosity outside of school is key to children’s growth.
Reading can build knowledge and a new understanding of the world.
Across the day we offered more than 20 workshops, in English and Spanish, that covered topics about reading, writing, phonics, ways to work with our bilingual children, ways to support conversations about justice, and how to support homework outside of school. The day gave parents & caregivers ways to support children at the earliest stages of literacy all the way through middle school. Participants came away with strategies, games, songs, activities, and book lists that they can use outside of school with their children to support, nurture, encourage, and inspire us to use more reading and writing in our daily lives.
Special guest, Maryah Greene
Maryah Greene, the author of Good Things, gave a beautiful workshop for families about the importance of helping children heal & grieve while staying connected to the community and the natural world.
Booklists!
We shared many books to read with and to your children and ones that children may enjoy reading on their own.
Remember, there are many ways to get books into your homes. Your school (hopefully) sends home books, you have your local libraries (and library apps), local bookstores (and Bookshop app), and even across YouTube you can find your favorite books to read!
We will be hosting more free events online and here at Advancing Literacy at Teachers College. We will have, twice a month in the evening, one-hour workshops for parents and caregivers. Click here to see the schedule. The first evening will be Wednesday, October 4, 2023, with Philip Seyfried about all things AI.
And on Saturday, October 21, 2023, we host our biannual “reunion,” an online, packed day of workshops for educators and families. For parents and caregivers, we will have a whole series on this day, explicitly tailored to supporting your children in literacy outside of school! Carmen Agra Deedy, author of The Rooster Who Would Not be Quiet and, most recently, Carina Felina, will open the day, and Maryanne Wolf, researcher and children’s advocate from UCLA will be our closing speaker. Click here for more information.
We hope that you and your children find lots of joy and purpose in reading and writing. Here at Advancing Literacy, we are your partners in finding ways to make literacy more accessible, impactful, and enjoyable for all of your children.