As an early childhood educator I know the importance of early literacy. Children begin to develop literacy skills well before they enter school. It is important for families to promote literacy from the start. Children that grow up in a home rich in literacy become better readers and do better in school than those who come from homes which do not promote literacy. Reading storybooks at home with young children is one of the most important activities for developing the knowledge required for success in reading. Children that are frequently read to have a strong foundation in early literacy can benefit from formal literacy instruction once they enter school. These children have increased motivation to interact with books and learn to read. However not all families have access to storybooks for their children. A great way for teachers to reach out to all families is to have literacy bags available for their students to bring home. Making literacy bags available to parents is a simple way to assist families in supporting their children’s literacy development. Literacy bags help empower parents to teach their own children. Literacy bags make it easy for busy parents to become involved in their children’s learning and help them understand the importance of reading and interacting with their children. So you may be asking what is a literacy bag?
A literacy bag is special backpack that can contain activities, books and a stuffed animal/character that students can take home on a weekly basis. These bags are designed to be fun and informative ways for families to share literacy and learning experiences at home. They are also a great way to connect school and home in meaningful and enjoyable ways.
The first literacy bag I made was for the story The Crayon Box That Talked by Shane DeRolf. Here is the letter sent home in the literacy bag explaining what to do:
The Crayon Box that Talked
Family Literacy Bag
The Crayon Box that Talked by Shane DeRolf, is a wonderful story about a box of crayons that doesn’t get along because they feel as if they are too different. In the end they learn how they can live and work together to create amazing things
After reading this story with your child please complete some or all of the following activities. All the materials required are provided in the bag!
Crayon Portraits – Use the oval shape crayons to have your child draw a self-portrait. These portraits will be displayed on a colorful bulletin board with the message of the book as the centerpiece in the classroom.
Readers’ Theater Script – Use the simple Readers’ Theater script to help your child work on fluency, expression, speaking and listening.
Rhyming Word Cards– Use the provided crayon cards for a quick activity to practice reading and rhyming skills.
Color Matching Activity- Use the crayon cards to match color words to the correct colors.
Color Writing Prompt- Use the provided “We need many different colors because…” paper to have your child respond and write what they are thinking.
Color!- Blank paper is provided for you and your child’s imaginations to create a masterpiece.
The books and activities to use in literacy are only limited by your imagination!
Kim
kimberwood08 
Such an important topic and such a great way to implement supporting literacy! You are the kind of teacher I hope my children have 🙂
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I love the idea of a literacy bag. You just gave me a great project for my kids. I have been trying to come up with a snow day kit that the kids can use on these pesky days off to thwart the “Snow Brain” condition that occurs when they are away from school too long. Thank you, Kim.
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This is a great structure and sounds really well organized. I wonder what impact it will have on parent engagement or parent’s feeling empowered to support their children’s education.
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Love this idea! Have you tried this with your own students? Have you seen results? I love that you include everything in the bag for the students and their families- it makes it so easy for students who may not have the rich literary environment we know is so important. The stuffed animal idea is great also- it makes it fun and engaging, especially for preschool aged children.
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