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As Part of Classroom Instruction

• During silent reading time
• As enrichment to the core reading curriculum when the content or phonemic themes are appropriate
• As part of a larger family- and community-building curriculum in which teachers bring both home and family themes into the classroom

To Talk About and With Families

• As a springboard for class discussions before families are present in the school for formal functions, such as preparation for an upcoming family math night or parent–teacher conferences (e.g., stories from the Storybook Corner Bookcase about families coming in to the classroom for show-and-tell)
• As a tool to learn about students' families: Teachers might read books with students in a mini-lesson and follow up with small and large group activities centered on family themes (for specific activities see the teacher guides).
• As a theme for family literacy events at school with the goal of sparking conversations among parents and between children and parents. These meetings could follow the family literacy discussion steps developed by Alma Flor Ada in her project, the Pajaro Valley Experience. (Read about the project in Family Literacy: A Review of Programs and Critical Perspectives in the Related Readings section.)
• As a way to address a particular home–school concern held by a family through the sharing of a specific involvement story (e.g., stories from the Storybook Corner Bookcase about transition to school, communication with the teacher, etc.)
• As a way to welcome families into the classroom with family involvement book displays directed specifically at families

In Activities That Bridge Home and School

• Lending Library – Build a special section of a classroom library for parents and children to borrow books and take them home.
• Writing Briefcase – Develop a “writing briefcase”—a plastic carrying case that contains writing materials such as tablets, markers, pencils, crayons, and notepads, as well as a storybook and some questions addressed to children and families. Teachers might have each child, one by one, take the briefcase home, read and reflect with her family, and share the results at school the next day. Parents and sibling can write notes or draw pictures for children to share.
• Bookmaking Workshop – Families can create books for or with their children using ordinary and available items like plain sheets of paper, newspaper, or mail-order catalogs. Families might base their own books on one of the stories in the Storybook Corner Bookcase, adapting the story to relate to a similar experience that they have had.

Suggestions Teachers Can Provide Parents for Promoting Literacy

Teachers' communication with families to promote literacy at home can incorporate and extend beyond the use of the storybooks. However, when suggesting ways for parents to help their children learn to read, teachers must take into account that reading practices are in large part culturally shaped. Teachers might suggest that families:

• Create an environment that conveys to children that reading is valued and rewarding.
• Provide ready access to materials that make it possible for children to act on their interest in reading.
• Provide various opportunities for children to exercise their emergent skills in language and literacy throughout the day, such as discussing books, engaging play activities, or listening to music.
• Take children to libraries, museums, and other educational sites.

Developed by Ellen Mayer and Margaret Caspe, December 2005

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