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For administrators looking to increase student reading at school and at home and improve parent involvement -- which would be most administrators -- family reading nights have proven successful for many schools. Included: Suggestions for family reading night programming.

The family that reads together reads more, and many educators have found that one of the best ways to encourage student reading is through school sponsored family reading nights.

It doesn't seem to matter, several educators told Education World, whether schools hold family reading nights monthly or several times a year; whether families read for an hour or for two hours; whether or not the events include guest readers… The most important aspect of the evenings is that time is set aside time for parents and children to read together.

"We're not asking anything from parents; just that they spend some time with their child," said Johnny Payne, assistant principal of Eton Elementary School in Chatsworth, Georgia, which hosts three family reading nights a year. The one in November drew 340 people; the school has 760 students. "We have a hard time getting families to leave," Payne noted.

MULTIPLE BENEFITS

Educators who hold family reading nights told Education World that reading nights not only motivate children to read more at home, but they also can encourage parents to get more involved in their children's education.

"As a former first grade teacher, I have a strong belief that family reading promotes individual reading," said Lynne Charlot, library media specialist at Machias Elementary School in Snohomish, Washington. "Kids in those families tend to be more successful and motivated."

Since the program started at Eton, teachers are reporting more students reading and more reading going on in students' homes. "We hear from teachers that more parents are reading to children at home [since the program started]," said Payne. The K-5 school participates in the Accelerated Reader Program, and students can take quizzes on the books they read with their families to earn extra points.

"We started this because we didn't have an active PTA or PTO, and we thought it might encourage parents to come out," Payne added. "It just took off. We've heard a lot of positive comments from parents."

Joni Gardner, the library media specialist at Sandy Ridge (North Carolina) Elementary School, said she launched family reading nights last summer to get more parents into the school and more books into students' homes.

"We started this to promote family literacy," Gardner told Education World. "We're in a very rural area, and fewer than 50 percent of our families have computers at home. We started them once a week in the summer to encourage reading and get parents to use the resources in our media center. We wanted to show parents how they could be active in the children's education." And it's working. "People come in and start pulling out books."

Often, after children learn to read, parents stop reading to them, Gardner added. But reading nights show parents that reading to their children is still beneficial. "This encourages parents to read to kids above the kids' ability level."

Many parents enjoy the books as well. "We want parents to get into the school to read -- we do have some problems with adult literacy," Gardner continued. "We want to help improve the education level in the home. It's fun when a kid says, 'I liked the book, and my mom liked it, too.' We also want the parents to feel comfortable in the school."

Staff members at Ocean Springs (Mississippi) Middle School were unsure how popular reading nights would be with older students, but they've been pleasantly surprised by the response, said Susan Toche, the school's library media specialist.

"Last year we had one [reading night]; this year we are having one every nine weeks," said Toche. The reading nights revolve around the school's Accelerated Reader Program; the books students read count toward their English grade. "We have whole families who read out loud together; some students read to their younger siblings. It's fun to see parents come in for something other than athletics or a band concert -- for something academic."

THEMES AND ACTIVITIES

Besides allowing time for family reading, several educators said they also schedule a program for part of the night -- such as a parent-child activity, books related to a theme, or guest readers.

"We always have a parent-child activity, like a scavenger hunt or completing a worksheet on Internet safety," said Gardner. "The kids get a little treat when they turn it in."

Other special programs have included folk tales told by an Appalachian storyteller. "We try to have a theme every month that is seasonal, or we work with school-wide assignments such as a science project," she added.

"We have two to four stations in the media center, with various activities, including someone reading stories to children," said Eton's Payne.

At Machias school, family reading night themes have included a pajama night in October, for which kids and parents were encouraged to wear sleepwear. "I wore mine," added media specialist Charlot. In November, staff members were invited to read their favorite stories to children. Charlot also has organized a "hat night;" people wore their favorite hats and read stories involving hats. "I've also done a grandparents' night and a 'going to the zoo' night. Kid-friendly themes are very important."

St. Helen School, a pre-K- 6 school in Rochester, New York, has four themes each year -- one for each of its two family reading nights and two reading mornings. "We try to do one event with each theme," noted principal Mary Beth Sullivan. Special programs have included stories read by a Native American visitor and a story presented in American Sign Language by a deaf person.

REMEMBER SNACKS AND REWARDS!

With so much quality programming, educators want to draw as many families as possible to reading nights. Providing food and student rewards can help make the evenings more fun and relaxing, so busy parents don't have to worry about squeezing in dinner before rushing off to school. For Eton's reading nights, local merchants provide chicken sandwiches or pizza and soda for dinner.

As families come into the school, students sign in with their parents. The class with the most parents attending has an ice cream party, Payne said.

Ocean Springs' PTO helps out by selling pizza and soda at family reading nights, Toche said. Families who come are eligible for door prizes, which are books.

At Sandy Ridge School, students who come to family reading nights are allowed to check out more books from the media center than usual and to keep them longer.

All those programs require a lot of preparation by school staff, but they said seeing the families' enjoyment is worth the effort.

"The parents are very appreciative. I feel very appreciated," said Charlot. "I like seeing the joy on the faces of the kids, and having the opportunity to share that joy with their families. It's fun for me. My kids are at the school too, so my family benefits as well."

"I love the program, now that we are reaching out and making the library the buzz of our school," added Gardner. "We are extending into the community."

Article by Ellen R. Delisio
Education World®
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