At BCPS, literacy is a key academic focus — and also an important means of building partnerships with families to foster a lifelong love of reading. Each BCPS elementary school offers literacy nights to engage families in the work of building students’ reading and writing skills at home.
These events shifted to be virtual during the height of the pandemic, which actually increased engagement, serving as a good lesson to district leaders on the importance of meeting families where they are. Other activities to involve families in students’ literacy growth include events with Willard Library, read-a-loud videos, and sharing books and other reading materials with students to bring home.