Type 2
Issue No. 19
Fall 2005

Elementary School Report

Video Helps Parents Support Reading at Home

Lights! Camera! Action! The Hawthorn Hills Site Council took creative steps to help inform parents about the importance of reading and how to encourage their children to pick up a book at home.

Knowing that reading at home positively impacts school performance, the Site Council brainstormed ways to get the message out to all parents. They decided on a parent-friendly video with helpful hints for parents to support their pre-readers, as well as their more experienced readers. Each family received a copy of the video at parent-teacher conferences.

Making the Video

After securing $17,000 in grant money from the local chapter of Altrusa International and the Kiwanis Club of Greater Wausau, the Site Council hired a local production company. Working closely with the district's public relations department, production began with information gathering, interviews, and a first draft of a script. Teachers, district literacy trainers, and parents all provided input into script revisions.

Local families and teachers, chosen to represent the diversity of the school's population, starred in the video. Filming took place during the summer months at families' homes and several public locations, including Hawthorn Hills Elementary School.

Providing Helpful Tips to Parents

Parent groups and teachers previewed a rough cut of the video and contributed feedback. One suggestion the Site Council implemented was including a booklet of helpful tips with each video. The booklet, divided into sections for younger and older readers, offered parents suggestions for open-ended questions and conversation starters for any book. The tips were written in Hmong and Spanish, as well as English. "The parents seemed very appreciative of receiving the video and accompanying brochure. They thought the suggestions for discussion prompts would be very helpful," commented teacher Lynn Strehlon.

Translating into Two Languages

While originally intended for the families of Hawthorn Hills students, the video, entitled Partners in Reading Success, will be produced for each family in the Wausau School District through extra grant money from the district. In addition, the video was translated into Hmong and Spanish for families who speak English as a second language, and will be distributed at evening presentations at each elementary school. In the future, the video will be shared with new families.

Ordering the Video

"This video provides all parents with easy strategies they can use at home to help improve their children's reading skills. Everyone will benefit from the suggestions the video provides," said Karen Salinas, editor of Promising Partnership Practices 2005. The Wausau School District has graciously agreed to make DVD copies of Partners in Reading Success available to NNPS members until December 31, 2005. Members can order the DVD in three languages—English, Hmong, and Spanish—for $30. The DVD is packaged in a library case with the booklet that includes strategies for beginning and intermediate readers. All orders will be filled by the end of February 2006. For ordering information, e-mail nnps@csos.jhu.edu.

Related Articles:

Partners in Reading Success Video/CD from Promising Partnership Practices 2005 (.pdf)