Parents

with children ages 4-8

Fun, everyday activities that help your child fall in love with reading and understanding stories.

Workshop 1: Building a Reading Relationship

Theme: The most important literacy tool is your relationship.

Learning Objectives

  • Understand how children learn to love reading.  

  • Learn why parents and grandparents are powerful literacy partners.

  • Create enjoyable daily reading routines.

  • Discover how conversations build vocabulary and comprehension.

Topics

  • The science behind reading aloud

  • Creating positive reading experiences

  • Reading routines that fit busy families

  • Choosing books children ask to hear again

Activities

  • Interactive read-aloud demonstration

  • "Turn every page into a conversation"

  • Create a Family Reading Plan

  • Book tasting

Take-Home

  • 20-minute daily literacy routine

  • Reading log

  • Recommended books by age

Six-Part Workshop Series

Raising Lifelong Readers Together

Workshop 2: Preparing Four-Year-Olds to Read

Theme: Before children read words, they build the skills that make reading possible.

Learning Objectives

  • Build phonological awareness

  • Develop oral language

  • Encourage curiosity about print

Topics

  • Rhyming

  • Syllables

  • Beginning sounds

  • Letter awareness

  • Print awareness

Activities

  • Rhyming games

  • Alphabet scavenger hunt

  • Name games

  • Story retelling

  • Nursery rhymes

Take-Home

  • 25 language games

  • Printable alphabet activities

  • Book list activities

Workshop 3: Helping Six-Year-Olds Become Confident Readers

Theme: Reading is like solving a puzzle.

Learning Objectives

  • Understand how beginning readers decode words.

  • Learn how to support reading without creating frustration.

  • Build confidence through encouragement.

Topics

  • Phonics

  • Sight words

  • Decoding strategies

  • Fluency

  • Reading confidence

Activities

  • Partner reading

  • Echo reading

  • Word detective games

  • Sound boxes

  • Reading celebration strategies

Take-Home

  • Decodable book list

  • Fluency games

  • Home reading checklist

Workshop 4: Building Vocabulary Through Everyday Conversations

Theme: Every conversation grows a child's brain.

Learning Objectives

  • Increase children's vocabulary naturally.

  • Ask questions that encourage thinking.

  • Build language during ordinary routines.

Topics

  • Rich conversation

  • Open-ended questions

  • Storytelling

  • Descriptive language

  • Background knowledge

Activities

  • Grocery store language game

  • Nature walk vocabulary hunt

  • Dinner conversation starters

  • Family storytelling

Take-Home

  • 100 conversation starters

  • Vocabulary activities

  • Family storytelling guide

Workshop 5: Choosing Great Books and Creating a Literacy-Rich Home

Theme: The right books create lifelong readers.

Learning Objectives

  • Choose books children love.

  • Build an inexpensive home library.

  • Make reading visible every day.

Topics

  • Selecting quality books

  • Diversity in children's literature

  • Library resources

  • Reading interests

  • Home literacy environments

Activities

  • Book browsing

  • Create a family reading basket

  • Design a reading corner

  • Librarian's Top 100 recommendations

Take-Home

  • Age-based book guide

  • Library visit checklist

  • Home library planner

Workshop 6: Growing Lifelong Readers

Theme: Literacy is a family tradition.

Learning Objectives

  • Build long-term literacy habits.

  • Celebrate reading milestones.

  • Keep children motivated.

Topics

  • Family reading traditions

  • Reading celebrations

  • Summer reading

  • Screen balance

  • Continuing literacy growth

Activities

  • Create a Family Literacy Mission Statement

  • Literacy goal planning

  • Reading celebration certificates

  • Family literacy pledge

Take-Home

  • One-year literacy calendar

  • Reading challenge

  • Family literacy toolkit

  • Certificate of completion

Series Features

Each 90-minute workshop follows a consistent format:

Time Activity

10 min Welcome and literacy tip

20 min Research made practical

25 min Interactive demonstration

20 min Parent/grandparent practice

10 min Questions and discussion

5 min Take-home resources

Participants receive:

  • A professionally designed workbook

  • Weekly activity sheets

  • Curated book lists

  • Family literacy planners

  • Printable games

  • Access to demonstration videos

  • A certificate upon completion


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