Partnering with Parents

Caregiver involvement is key to a child''s reading success story, and libraries are in the perfect position to provide the guidance needed for parents and caregivers to embrace their role as their children''s first and most enduring teachers. Libraries offer many programs and services for children, but sometimes caregivers are left out of the equation, especially once children start school. Nevertheless, parents and caregivers are an integral part of literacy development, and libraries are a great place for them to witness modeling practices and participate in engaging family programs that encourage early literacy. Mary Schreiber combines personal experience and professional research with the programming expertise of youth librarians from across the country in this guide for libraries looking to make an even greater impact on the level of literacy attained by the children they serve. In Partnering with Parents, readers will find a wealth of information on how to talk to caregivers about the different stages of a child''s reading life, what books to recommend to excite both caregivers and children about reading, and ways to encourage parent and caregiver participation in library programming, with additional information on working with and providing programming for diverse families. Whether you are a veteran in the profession or brand new to working with families, you will find something in this book that will help you to make your library a more integral part of the education community.