Reading Rockets offers a wealth of reading strategies, lessons, and activities designed to help young children learn how to read and read better. Our reading resources assist parents, teachers, and other educators in working with struggling readers who require additional help in reading fundamentals and comprehension skills development.

Adventures in Reading: Family Literacy Bags

By: Reading Rockets (2008)

Parents who read to their children everyday and talk about what they are reading together promote a joy of reading and literacy achievement. How can teachers encourage reading at home and support the role of parents as educators? One way is through the use of family literacy bags — a paired set of theme-based fiction and nonfiction books and related interactive activities that kids bring home from school to share with their family.

Reading Rockets has developed a set of six family literacy bags appropriate for a kindergarten or first grade listening level to encourage some hands-on fun and learning. Just assemble everything into a two-gallon zip top bag, and send home with your students.

What goes into each literacy bag?

Parent information sheet with an introductory note that you can personalize, instructions about how to use the packet, and tips for sharing fiction and nonfiction books with children
Two books: one fiction and one nonfiction, selected by Reading Rockets for high quality and wide availability in school libraries
Creativity Activity: a hands-on craft project
Imagination Activity: encourages imaginative play, writing, or drawing
Get Real Activity: focuses on real-world experiences for parent and child
Bookmark: lists the featured titles and alternative titles

Theme: animals Age: kindergarten	Theme: food Age: kindergarten	Theme: music Age: kindergarten

Theme: environment Age: first grade	Theme: folktales Age: first grade	Theme: time Age: first grade

Feedback wanted

If you use the family literacy bags in your classroom, we'd love to get feedback on how well they worked, new theme ideas, or ways to improve the packs. Contact us by e-mail (in the subject field, select "Family Literacy Bags"). Thank you!

To learn more, please read our article about family literacy bags.

Print this page

Related Topics:

Articles from A-Z > Activities (32)
Articles from A-Z > Reading together (38)

"This is a wonderful site with a wealth of information to share with parents and teachers. As a Reading Specialist, it is very helpful to me!"
~ Laurie A.

Send your favorite reader a fun e-card, created for Reading Rockets by award-winning children's book illustrators. Send a card.

Reading Rockets is a national multimedia project that offers research-based and best-practice information on teaching kids to read and helping those who struggle. It is an educational service of public television station WETA in Washington, D.C.

Visit WETA's educational web sites:

© Copyright 2008. All rights reserved. Reading Rockets is funded by a grant from the U.S. Department of Education, Office of Special Education Programs. Reading Rockets® is a registered trademark of WETA.

Stay informed! Subscribe to our e-mail newsletters.