Parent Resources
IRA resources are available to help parents as they take on their critical role as their children’s first and most important teachers.
IRA extends parent outreach
The International Reading Association will be featured as the co-partner with Parents magazine and Parents.com in a national program to help instill in kids a lifelong love of books and language. The Raise a Reader program will be launched and promoted in schools across the United States via outreach to teachers beginning in February.
"At IRA, we have decided to maximize the impact of the Raise a Reader program in at least 10 selected urban communities—Pittsburgh, Detroit, Honolulu, Chicago, Nashville, Louisville, Salt Lake City, Newark (New Jersey), San Antonio, and San Francisco—by partnering with the local school systems to help them emphasize high academic achievement and contributing to the community," says IRA Executive Director William B. Harvey.
IRA's involvement in the Raise a Reader program will present the Association as a uniquely positioned educational resource to millions of parents. It also will serve as the impetus to open the door for reading advocates to become part of IRA through the initiation of a new branch of the organization that will be known as the IRA Parents Council. "Over the years, the IRA leadership has frequently discussed the possibility of providing a mechanism that would address the interests and concerns of parents who want to maximize the reading success and enjoyment of their children," says Harvey. "The time is now right to take that step forward."
IRA is in the process of developing a set of products and services that will be available to parents (and other friends of reading) for a nominal fee. In the near future, parents will be able to take advantage of the expertise of IRA's stellar membership of literacy professionals to promote reading success in the home, neighborhood, or community.
Additional details about how to join the IRA Parents Council will soon be available on the IRA website and in upcoming issues of Reading Today.
Raise a Reader program details
Motivate students to read by rewarding their reading milestones. The Raise a Reader program, sponsored by Parents magazine and Parents.com, in partnership with the International Reading Association, allows students to log their reading minutes as they devour books throughout the spring. Parents.com will track which schools have the most minutes logged per student—one winning school will receive a $5,000 library grant.
The free program includes a personalized school page where teachers, students, and parents can watch their school’s progress. Online spelling games and worksheets keep it fun, and Parents.com offers recommended books for every age level. Plus, students who log at least 60 minutes of reading each week will be eligible for individual prizes.
Get more information and sign up your school for the program today. Schools can enter through February 28, and the reading begins March 8. Visit www.parents.com/reading/school to get started.
Looking for books your child might like? Find recommendations in our Choices booklists or check out ReadWriteThink.org's podcast What Should I Read Aloud? A Guide to 200 Best-Selling Picture Books by Nancy A. Anderson.
ReadWriteThink.org also offers more fun ways to learn literacy skills in the Parent & Afterschool Resources area.
Getting Your Child Ready to Read
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Supporting Your Beginning Reader
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Writing Activities for Young Readers
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What Kids Really Want to Read
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Reading, Writing, and Technology
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Making the Most of Reading Tests
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What Is Family Literacy? Getting Involved in Your Child’s Literacy Learning
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Booklets are available for purchase at low cost (US$1.60 each for IRA members, $2.00 for nonmembers), with discounts available for larger quantities. Click on a title for more information.
Don't miss the award-winning Words That Cook! Parenting With Children’s Books DVD series: 