Kindergarten Family Reading Institute: Empowering Parents Through a Sustained Home and School Partnership

The research focused on initiating a home-school partnership with the intent of increasing the reading achievement of kindergarten students. Using action research, this study looked at the dynamics and outcomes of establishing a home and school partnership.;This intensive family reading institute delivered seven weekly 90-minute workshops in English and Spanish. The institute engaged the family and child in activities that were based on the California Language Arts Standards. The activities in the institute integrated language, culture, literacy and technology, coupled with workshops designed to support an understanding of the skills needed to reinforce reading achievement in the home.;Teachers and reading coach engaged in this study worked with the principal and researcher to develop culturally relevant, parent friendly and hands-on materials to give parents the skills to foster phonemic awareness, phonics, vocabulary development, fluency and reading comprehension in the home environment. Teachers, reading coach and site administrator worked with parents to provide an understanding of grade level standards, target skills and strategies to support literacy development in the home. The reading coach and principal facilitated lessons to engage parent and child in intergenerational activities that supported reading in the home. Teachers, principal, parents and researcher identified changes in attitude towards reading and reading behaviors such as letter identification, phonemic awareness, phonics, vocabulary development, fluency, and reading comprehension.;The research findings identified factors to potentially be replicated in other schools and help parents reinforce the skills all kindergarten students need to reach grade level standards in reading. This study identified ways to collaborate with Latino families to support their children in reaching grade level standards in reading. The outcomes of this study may potentially help transform schools into institutions that genuinely serve all students regardless of ethnicity or language origin.