A Teacher’s Guide to Equipping Families with Simple, Powerful Tools for At-Home Success
Families Want to Help, They Just Need to Know How
Parents don’t need degrees in literacy to prevent summer learning loss.
They just need clear guidance, realistic expectations, and simple routines.
When schools partner with families, students thrive all summer long.
Research-Based Tips for Parent Coaching:
- Dr. Timothy Shanahan emphasizes that reading aloud, asking questions, and discussing the story supports comprehension more than worksheet drills.
- The 30 Million Word Gap study shows that conversation and interaction are key to language development.
Summer Parent Coaching Checklist:
- Provide a one-page “How to Read With Your Child” guide
- Model one reading routine at a family literacy event
- Offer audio or video examples of decoding strategies
- Send weekly reading tips via text or ClassDojo
Tip: Frame reading as a way to connect, not just to comply.
Share this with your school’s family engagement team—because literacy lives at home, too.