Literacy Resources for Families and Caregivers
Literacy is an essential skill to participate in the 21st century. Parents and caregivers play an important role in shaping their child’s reading development. These resources aim to empower parents and caregivers with the necessary knowledge and tools to support the development of strong foundational literacy skills and nurture a genuine love for reading. You'll find links to videos, articles, blogs, questionnaires, and more—all firmly grounded in the science of reading, reflecting the most current research on how the brain learns to read.
Introduction
Understanding the science of reading can make a big difference in how you support your child at home. This collection of helpful resources is easy to understand and based on scientific evidence—breaking down the intricacies of how children learn to read in family-friendly language. The topics offer a deeper understanding of how children’s reading brains develop, and families can boost their knowledge on how to support children’s reading journeys, both at school and at home!
- Parent Introduction to the Science of Reading—introduction to the science of reading for parents
- Is My Child’s School Getting Reading Right?—supports families in asking about reading and literacy instruction in their child’s school
- IMSE Support for Parents—five essential components to reading instruction and how they best fit in each grade level
- Learning About Your Child’s Reading Development—toolkit helps families understand the skills involved with teaching a child to read and supporting reading development
Videos
Explore video resources, specially crafted for parents and families who are looking to further support their child’s reading development at home. Find collections of engaging, student-friendly video lessons recorded by experts that your child can watch repeatedly, reinforcing crucial foundational concepts and skills in a fun, engaging, and accessible way.
- At Home with Florida Center for Reading Research—resources to make evidence-based and evidence-informed decisions to improve reading for all learners
- More information on the FCRR Families page
- Reading Buddies—engages young readers as they practice letters, sounds, and reading words; make up stories; practice social skills; and more
Links
These resources help families and caregivers gain access to free online books and reading materials, find ways to help children struggling with reading, and get practical insights and tips on supporting children’s reading journey with confidence.
- Free Library for California (Footsteps2Brilliance)—digital library with books and literacy activities for grades PK–3 in (English and Spanish)
- Family Guides: Supporting Learning—what children should know and be able to do, grade by grade, in math and literacy
- Helping Your Child: Guidance for Families—common reading issues and ways to get help for your child
- Parent Checklists—checklists for parents of children ages birth through 3rd grade to help children “get ready to read”
- What to Do If My Child Is Struggling with Reading?—become aware of specific areas in which a child is having trouble and begin targeting ways to help
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Haskins Global Resource Library—links to free, high-quality content for children and teens with different levels of reading proficiency
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Family Reading Activities and Resources—evidence-based literacy resources for PTA Family Reading Night events from the Virginia PTA and the National Center on Improving Literacy
