Community & Parent Involvement
Think about ways you can get your school community involved in your thriving literacy program. Here are a couple of ideas to get you started:
Snuggle-Up and Read Folders: Start sending home levelled books with students to read every night with their parents, guardians or older siblings. Keep a log in the back of their snuggle-up folder to keep track of books the student has read at home, with a place for a parent signature. Students can change their snuggle-up books every day or just a couple of times per week. Keep track of who is changing books regularly and who is changing books less often. This will help you to see who needs more positive reading encouragement. Try to sit with each of your students at least once per week to hear them read one of their snuggle-up books to you. Be sure to be fully present with your students when they are reading to you so that they know you value this time with them.
Community Guest Reader: Ask people in your community if they would be willing to come into your class to read a book or to share a favourite story with your class. Students love having guests in their classroom, and they will engage with a story a little bit differently when it's told by someone new. As with any guest to your classroom, be sure to clear the visit with your school administration first.
Song & Poetry Folders: Send home a "Poetry Folder" duotang every Friday with a new poem or song learned that week in class. Encourage students to share these poems with their parents or guardians, and include a space at the bottom of each page for a parent signature. This will help you to see who is continuing their language play at home and who might need some further encouragement.
Snuggle-Up and Read Folders: Start sending home levelled books with students to read every night with their parents, guardians or older siblings. Keep a log in the back of their snuggle-up folder to keep track of books the student has read at home, with a place for a parent signature. Students can change their snuggle-up books every day or just a couple of times per week. Keep track of who is changing books regularly and who is changing books less often. This will help you to see who needs more positive reading encouragement. Try to sit with each of your students at least once per week to hear them read one of their snuggle-up books to you. Be sure to be fully present with your students when they are reading to you so that they know you value this time with them.
Community Guest Reader: Ask people in your community if they would be willing to come into your class to read a book or to share a favourite story with your class. Students love having guests in their classroom, and they will engage with a story a little bit differently when it's told by someone new. As with any guest to your classroom, be sure to clear the visit with your school administration first.
Song & Poetry Folders: Send home a "Poetry Folder" duotang every Friday with a new poem or song learned that week in class. Encourage students to share these poems with their parents or guardians, and include a space at the bottom of each page for a parent signature. This will help you to see who is continuing their language play at home and who might need some further encouragement.