Strengthening literacy through family engagement
When families understand how their children are taught to read in school and how to support their learning at home, it can contribute to strong student literacy outcomes. At Whitehall Elementary School in Montana, Principal Kurtis Koenig has centered family engagement in literacy as a core strategy for supporting student achievement. What does this look like in practice?
Through a partnership with REL Northwest, Whitehall Elementary has been working to align its family engagement efforts in literacy with evidence-based instruction and state literacy priorities, including Montana Reads. Whitehall used resources recommended in REL Northwest’s Evidence-Based K–12 Family Engagement Practices in Literacy handout. Other schools and districts can use these resources to strengthen family engagement in literacy. Koenig identified three take-aways for his school
1. Prioritize transparency in literacy instruction
Reading instruction has changed, so schools should proactively explain to families what students are learning and why, helping families feel informed rather than confused.
“I don't ever want two people sitting in the local hair salon, talking about their kids in school, to say, ‘I have no idea what they're teaching,’” Koenig said.
2. Make instruction visible by letting families experience it
At conferences, strategies like demonstration sessions (in which parents/caregivers act as students) help families understand classroom practices and better support reading at home. “Parents are invited to come in and be the students, and we're going to use our practices to teach them,” said Koenig.
Another strategy Whitehall Elementary has used is open houses. “[Teachers] had all of their materials out, and parents were invited in to go to their teacher's class and learn about what their kids were going to learn,” Koenig explained.
3. Strengthen relationships and accessibility to enhance engagement and outcomes
Whitehall Elementary also builds engagement through community partnerships. Koenig described being “very fortunate to have the very, very active, very good PTSA [Parent Teacher Student Association], and we build off of each other with that.”
Early results
Early signals from families are providing anecdotal evidence of outcomes for Whitehall Elementary’s literacy-focused family engagement efforts. “The fact that I have community members reaching out, unafraid to reach out, and will do so anytime and ask me questions” serves as one indicator, said Koenig.
Other indicators could include increased questions to teachers about reading instruction and children’s literacy development, along with follow-up requests for at-home reading practices.
Koenig also emphasized that this work is still developing. “We have buy-in, we have a plan, we have tenacity, and we are driven. But we aren’t there yet,” he said. Early efforts to invite families into literacy learning are just beginning. For Koenig, the goal is to continue improving through ongoing learning and adjustment. Using improvement tools such as Plan-Do-Study-Act cycles, the school is refining its approach over time.
Quick recap
For school and district leaders, Whitehall Elementary’s approach offers several takeaways.
Takeaways for strengthening literacy through family engagement
- Make instruction visible.
- Invite families to experience what students experience.
- Be accessible for questions and concerns.
- Notice when families reach out with curiosity and trust, and build on those moments to refine your approach.
RESOURCES
Whitehall Elementary’s efforts draw on REL Northwest’s Evidence-Based K–12 Family Engagement Practices in Literacy handout. School and district teams can use this handout to review resources and record takeaways and practices being enacted in their district or school.
Additional Resources
- Toolkit of Resources for Engaging Families and the Community as Partners in Education
- Evidence on Tips for Supporting Reading Skills at Home
- 10 Ways to Support Your Child’s Literacy at Home
- Understanding and Supporting Your Child’s Literacy Development: PreK–Grade 3
- Understanding and Supporting Your Child’s Literacy Development: Grades 4–8
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