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Teaching Reading: K-2 Workshop
Watch the Video | Connecting School and Home
Lecture
In this section, you will watch Dr. Paratore’s lecture on connecting school and home literacy practices.
Print Dr. Paratore’s Connecting School and Home Lecture Posters (PDF). Use the posters to take notes on the lecture.
In this video segment, Dr. Paratore presents research related to parent involvement in children’s literacy development. These findings suggest that parents play an important role in their child’s literacy development and that positive home-school connections influence children’s achievement in reading and writing.
An accompanying lecture transcript (PDF) is also available.
Video Segment – Dr. Paratore’s Lecture
Find this segment approximately 3 minutes and 30 seconds after the beginning of the video. Watch for about 7 1/2 minutes.
After watching the lecture, review your notes and consider these questions:
- Did any of the ideas in the session surprise you?
- What might you do differently to promote parent involvement?
- What information do you want to know about your students’ home literacy practices and routines?
Following the lecture, the workshop participants discuss their practices and obstacles in building home-school partnerships. Use the video image below to locate where to begin viewing.
Video Segment – Perceptions, Actions, Obstacles
Find this segment approximately 10 minutes and 55 seconds after the beginning of the video. Watch for about 8 minutes.
After watching the video segment, consider these questions:
- How did the workshop participants’ perceptions of parent responsibilities compare with your own? What would you add to their list?
- Workshop participants emphasized the importance of communication to support home-school partnerships. How do you communicate with your students’ parents or caregivers? What information do you share about school practices?
Classroom Excerpts
In this section, you will relate Dr. Paratore’s lecture and your reading to teaching practices in classroom excerpts.
Now you will observe a parent-teacher conference in kindergarten, first grade, and second grade. In each conference, both teachers and parents share information regarding the child’s literacy progress.
Video Segment – Conferencing Classroom Excerpts
Find this segment approximately 19 minutes and 5 seconds after the begining of the video. Watch for about 7 minutes.
After watching the classroom excerpts, consider these questions:
- How did the teachers and parents each contribute to a more complete understanding of the child’s literacy?
- How might you have responded to Thalia’s mother who said that she asks Thalia to read a book to her instead of reading a book together at home?
- What did you learn about Cassandra from her mother’s comments? How would you use this information in subsequent instruction and assessment?
- How did William contribute to his teacher’s and mother’s understanding of his literacy development?
Discussion
In this section, you will watch the workshop participants discuss the classroom excerpts.
Following the classroom excerpts, the workshop participants discuss the parent-teacher conferences. Compare your ideas with theirs.
Video Segment – Discussion
Find this segment approximately 26 minutes and 5 seconds after the beginning of the video. Watch for about 10 minutes.
After watching the workshop participants’ discussion, consider these questions:
- Several workshop participants reacted positively to William’s participation in the parent-teacher conference. What did William’s participation add to the conference? How did being part of the conference help William understand his literacy development?
- First- and second-grade teacher Marcy Prager was impressed that Ms. Perez shared results of the Developmental Reading Assessment with Cassandra’s mother. What are the benefits of sharing assessment data with parents? What do teachers need to consider before sharing assessment data?
More Classroom Excerpts
In this section, you will relate Dr. Paratore’s lecture and your readings to teaching practices in classroom excerpts.
Now watch kindergarten teacher Cindy Wilson as she reviews two students’ home literacy assignments with the whole class. Note how she supports these students during their class presentations and how she connects home and school literacy practices.
Video Segment – Home Activities Classroom Excerpts
Find this segment approximately 35 minutes and 50 seconds after the beginning of the video. Watch for about 6 1/2 minutes.
After watching the classroom excerpt, consider these questions:
- How did the home activities of each student promote literacy learning?
- What areas of language and literacy were developed with each activity?
- How did Ms. Wilson’s questions support each student as they presented to the class?
- What information did Ms. Wilson learn about both students from their home activities? How can she use this information to plan future instruction?
Further Discussion
In this section, you will watch the workshop participants discuss the classroom excerpts.
Following the classroom excerpts, the workshop participants discuss the assignments. Compare your ideas with theirs.
Video Segment – Further Discussion
Find this segment approximately 47 minutes and 55 seconds after the beginning of the video. Watch for about 9 1/2 minutes.
After watching the workshop participants’ discussion, consider these questions:
- Second-grade teacher Cruz Sanabria and kindergarten teacher Kemp Harris discussed the purpose of Ms. Wilson’s questions to each student. Were the questions intended to assess the students’ home literacy practices or to assist the students in sharing their work?
- First- and second-grade teacher Marcy Prager raised the issue of parents who themselves struggle when reading and writing in English. What activities and materials would you assign for home literacy practice that children could complete with minimum guidance from their parents?
- Dr. Paratore referenced Luis Moll’s work related to the rich resources of every family, which he terms, funds of knowledge. How can you learn about the experiences and background knowledge of your children’s families?
Optional Viewing
You may also want to watch the small-group discussions. Find this segment approximately 42 minutes and 15 seconds after the beginning of the video. Watch for about 5 1/2 minutes.
