Joyful Reading Webinar Series

Date: January 28, 2021
Location: Webinar

REL West hosted a webinar series on storybook reading, culturally affirming instruction, and connecting with parents and families. This series was designed to help preK–1st grade educators learn a routine for storybook reading, explore ideas for creating school-to-home connections, and extend storybook reading to creative expression activities.

• Webinar 1: Joyful reading at school and at home: A storybook reading routine
• Community of Practice 1: Joyful reading at school and at home: Sharing our reading routines
• Webinar 2: Joyful reading at school and at home: Creative expression activities
• Community of Practice 2: Joyful reading at school and at home: Sharing our creative expression activities

Presenters:

• Pamela Spycher, REL West
• Thea Fabian, vice principal at Wawona K–8 School in the Fresno Unified School District
• Danielle Garegnani, principal at Horton Elementary School

Audience: preK, kindergarten, and first grade teachers, district staff, coaches, principals, and staff developers

Webinar 1: Joyful reading at school and at home: A storybook reading routine

January 28, 2021

The webinar kicked off a four-part series that includes opportunities for educators to discuss and share their practice.

This first webinar shared research-based guidance to help preK–1st grade educators learn a routine for storybook reading, consider the culturally affirming aspects of stories, and hear ideas from elementary principals for creating school-to-home connections. Participants learned about a home-school reading activity to try out with families and caregivers and have the opportunity to share their successes and challenges with the routine in a follow-up Community of Practice event in February.

Resources:

• Webinar Recording
  
• Agenda
• Slides
• Transcript
• Reading Activity Routine in English
• Reading Activity Routine in Spanish
• WWC Practice Guide: Improving Reading Comprehension in Kindergarten Through 3rd Grade

Community of Practice 1: Joyful reading at school and at home: Sharing our reading routines

February 25, 2021

In this interactive session, participants shared what they learned in trying out parts of the storybook reading routine introduced in the first webinar in the series, with a focus on engaging parents/families/caregivers with the book. Participants worked in small groups to reflect on what was challenging and what was successful and shared their ideas with colleagues.

Resources:

• Agenda
• Slides

Webinar 2: Joyful reading at school and at home: Creative expression activities

March 25, 2021

During this webinar in the series, presenters shared research-based guidance to help teachers learn about moving from a joyful reading routine to creative expression activities. Participants learned about the relationship between creativity and language and literacy development. Participants also discussed how they can integrate creative expression activities into their own practice in the classroom and in partnership with parents and families. Participants had the opportunity to share their successes and challenges with creative expression activities and home-school connections in a follow-up Community of Practice event.

Resources:

• Webinar Recording
  
• Agenda
• Slides
• Transcript
• Download handouts in English and Spanish

Community of Practice 2: Joyful reading at school and at home: Creative expression activities

April 15, 2021

In this interactive session, participants shared what they learned while trying the storybook reading routine in their own practice, with a focus on integrating creative expression activities. The reading routines were introduced in the first webinar in the series. Participants worked in small groups to reflect on what was challenging and what was successful and shared their ideas with colleagues. Note that this event is only open to participants who attended the first webinar in the series: “Joyful reading at school and at home: Creative expression activities.”

Resources:

• Agenda
• Slides