Family Literacy Webinars

Choose from a variety of informative presentations by Virginia Department of Education specialists and coordinators as well as educators and community groups from across the Commonwealth.  Gain resources and supports that will allow literacy and learning to flourish at home and throughout your community.

Early literacy skill building begins at home, with families as young children’s first and forever teachers. In this session, we will explore ways families can support early literacy, focusing on communication, language development activities and engaging children with books. We will also talk about the importance of exposing all children to diversity in literature.

This session will provide parents and families with the necessary information to understand your student’s SOL test reports.  The intent of the session is to assist parents in using the information in the reports to provide support at home and to guide conversations with their child’s teacher. 

Family Engagement: Supports for the Home

When our children are doing school work at home, whether they're only doing their homework or they're utilizing a full virtual learning model, parents often find it to be a struggle.  Join us for a short presentation that will address various learning issues that our kids encounter, such as attentiveness, procrastination, frustration, organization, and rushing through their work. We’ll also discuss strategies that can be quickly implemented at home.

This session will provide ideas for families and community members about selecting and sharing books with children. We will share ideas and provide guidance about what to look for when choosing reading materials for the children in their lives. We will not only explore printed books, but also discuss using audiobooks, e-books, and other online reading materials.  Participants will be provided with information about where to find reading materials for children and ideas for making connections with those materials.

Join the Virginia Association of Teachers of English as we talk about books and resources.  Learn about our Literacy Explosion and find out what your local public library may be offering.  We’ll also share opportunities to enter writing contests and celebrate literacy at local book festivals.

Phonological awareness (PA) and phonemic awareness are foundational reading skills that are essential for learning to read. Learn what these skills look like, why they are important, and how parents and caregivers may reinforce these skills at home.

Join VDOE World Languages and International Education Specialist, Dr. Lisa Harris, as she discusses the importance of literacy, the gift of multiple languages, and supporting literacy and biliteracy in the home. 

Join VDOE’s Fine Arts Specialist as she shows the important connections between literacy and music.  

Join Lisa Tyree, PALS specialist at UVA as she explains the PALS screener and provides resources to support families at home.

Presenter

Join the VDOE English team as they provide an overview of K-12 literacy in Virginia and strategies for supporting kids of all ages at home.