Promising Practices for Engaging Families in Literacy fulfills the need from parents and teachers to improve home/school assistance in every child's literacy development. Literacy skills are required and valued in all academic areas and at all levels of education from preschool through adulthood. This volume provides suggestions and support to improve parent/child involvement in literacy activities from preschool through teacher education programs. Research is provided to undergird the documented practices that increase student academic achievement through improved literacy skills across academic areas. Practices include connections between home and school across age groups, developmental needs groups, universities, community groups, and technologies.

The technology revolution has made it critical for all children to understand science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) or risk being left behind. Promising Practices for Engaging Families in STEM Learning explores how families, schools, and communities can join together to promote student success in STEM by building organized and equitable pathways for family engagement across all of the settings in which students learn - including, schools, early childhood programs, homes, libraries and museums -from the earliest years through adolescence. This thought-provoking monograph includes three main sections with chapters from leading thinkers in the field: The first section provides the theoretical and research base for the importance of family engagement in STEM and draws out the challenges and opportunities that exist- from the transmission of adults' anxiety and lack of confidence in their own STEM skills, to inequalities in out-of-school learning opportunities, to biases and misconceptions about the kinds of STEM supports offered by families from low-income and immigrant homes. The second section builds on this research by presenting success stories, best practices, and approaches to engaging families in STEM. The final section focuses on how policies at the local, state, and federal level can support the promotion of family engagement in STEM. Taken together, the monograph shows that STEM is a powerful mechanism to connect, engage, and empower families. STEM provides opportunities for parents and children to spend time together asking fun and meaningful questions that link in-and out-of-school learning. STEM creates new experiences for families to co-construct and support learning with their children from the earliest years throughout formal schooling and onto college and career pathways. STEM also presents possibilities for families to build confidence and agency in supporting children's interests; especially those families who might be marginalized because of their economic or language status, race, or culture.

Public libraries can increase their impact on knowledge development, innovation, and social change by promoting parent and family engagement in children's learning. Libraries are increasingly focusing on families. Educational research confirms that family engagement in children's learning and development predicts school readiness, positive social behaviors, high school graduation, interest in STEM careers, and post-secondary education. A Librarian's Guide to Engaging Families in Learning will inspire libraries and librarians to innovate and promote family learning from a child's earliest years through adolescence. By bringing together research and practice, it will deepen librarians' understanding of families' role in education and help them to learn new ways to build positive and trusting family partnerships that honor diverse cultures and languages, as well as to develop leadership for community impact. Written by thought leaders in the fields of family engagement and library science, each of the three main sections of the book begins with a framework followed by case studies illustrating key concepts of the framework. Cases are followed by reflections from practicing librarians. All chapters focus on practical family engagement in the social infrastructure, lifelong learning, and diversity and social justice. Includes ideas to inspire innovative family engagement practices in libraries Provides research to help librarians make the case for resources to promote family engagement in public libraries Offers content for coursework and continuing education in children's services

Promising Practices for Engaging Families in Literacy fulfills the need from parents and teachers to improve home/school assistance in every child's literacy development. Literacy skills are required and valued in all academic areas and at all levels of education from preschool through adulthood. This volume provides suggestions and support to improve parent/child involvement in literacy activities from preschool through teacher education programs. Research is provided to undergird the documented practices that increase student academic achievement through improved literacy skills across academic areas. Practices include connections between home and school across age groups, developmental needs groups, universities, community groups, and technologies.

The technology revolution has made it critical for all children to understand science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) or risk being left behind. Promising Practices for Engaging Families in STEM Learning explores how families, schools, and communities can join together to promote student success in STEM by building organized and equitable pathways for family engagement across all of the settings in which students learn - including, schools, early childhood programs, homes, libraries and museums -from the earliest years through adolescence. This thought-provoking monograph includes three main sections with chapters from leading thinkers in the field: The first section provides the theoretical and research base for the importance of family engagement in STEM and draws out the challenges and opportunities that exist- from the transmission of adults' anxiety and lack of confidence in their own STEM skills, to inequalities in out-of-school learning opportunities, to biases and misconceptions about the kinds of STEM supports offered by families from low-income and immigrant homes. The second section builds on this research by presenting success stories, best practices, and approaches to engaging families in STEM. The final section focuses on how policies at the local, state, and federal level can support the promotion of family engagement in STEM. Taken together, the monograph shows that STEM is a powerful mechanism to connect, engage, and empower families. STEM provides opportunities for parents and children to spend time together asking fun and meaningful questions that link in-and out-of-school learning. STEM creates new experiences for families to co-construct and support learning with their children from the earliest years throughout formal schooling and onto college and career pathways. STEM also presents possibilities for families to build confidence and agency in supporting children's interests; especially those families who might be marginalized because of their economic or language status, race, or culture.