This year, we worked with over 50 schools to pilot Family Reading Night Toolkits. If your school is interested in receiving toolkits and books for families next school year, sign up here (some supplies are limited, but the digital toolkits are available to download for free).
In the meantime, here are some of the brilliant family partnership tips we heard from teachers at the 2025 Science of Reading Symposium:
Continue the learning at home:
- “I sent families a photo of a snack recipe the children made, telling the families that the kids said it was the best snack ever! One parent wrote back that she would get the ingredients for her daughter to make at home (she was absent that day). Another parent texted photos of her son teaching her how to make it.”
- “We share decodable books with families. Students who return a signed book log get a prize each week.”
- “I send home reading games that families can play together.”
Share more books with BookShare:
- “BookShare is a FREE digital library with over one million titles that teachers can make available to any student who struggles with print. Teachers can create accounts for families so their students can continue to explore new books at home and over the summer!” (Find out how to sign up for BookShare.
School celebrations create space for connection:
- “We host a Fall Harvest Festival where teachers work together to make a soup from vegetables grown in our community garden that students helped plant in the spring and harvest in the fall. It was a great way to put faces to names and get to know families at the start of the year.”
- “At our school, students teach/tell stories from their family/culture to the class.”
Who doesn’t love Bingo?
- “Our school hosts a Bingo for Books event with a take-home.”
- “We send home summer reading Bingo cards.”
Make it routine:
- “I invite parents to participate at least once per month, even if it’s 5 minutes before or after work.”
- “Elders are invited to join us every day for lunch.”
- “Our Community helps host our regular exploration week.”
- “We have a quarterly author’s tea. Each student invites a special adult to share their writing with.”
Let students lead:
- “Student-led conferences have been a great way to engage families and students. We use a checklist to help the students reflect on their progress, and we practice together beforehand. After some gentle guidance from me, the students are ready to share their reading progress and other work with their families. It’s been a game changer.”
Keep it positive:
- “We make positive phone calls home at the start of the year. It makes contacting parents later in the year so much easier.”
- “I send a letter to the child and their family at the start and end of the year.”