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Developing Reading Partnerships Between Parents and Children: A Reflection on the Reading Together Program

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Abstract

Early reading exposure is important in setting a foundation for students to acquire the basic literacy skills that set them up for school and life success. More importantly, parent involvement at an early age is a critical component of reading skills development. This report presents an overview of the Reading Together Program that introduced families of young children ages 6–36 months in a community-based setting to the necessary skills, techniques, and resources to enhance their knowledge of how to effectively develop a reading partnership with their children. Additionally, this free reading program that was sponsored by a faculty development grant invited parents to play an active role in their children’s reading journey. Results indicated that parents understood and appreciated the value of early reading habits, and would continue to nurture the reading relationship with their children. This article also presents responses of the initial and final reading perception surveys as well as implications for future research and practice.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. State University of New York College at Old Westbury, Old Westbury, NY, USA

    Diana Patricia Sukhram & Amy Hsu

Authors
  1. Diana Patricia Sukhram
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  2. Amy Hsu
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to Diana Patricia Sukhram.

Appendices

Appendix A: Initial Reading Perception Survey

  1. 1.

    How do you select a book to read with your child?

  2. 2.

    Do you enjoy reading with your child? Why/Why not?

  3. 3.

    What do you enjoy the most about reading with your child?

  4. 4.

    Are there special times when you read with your child?

  5. 5.

    What is the least interesting thing about reading with your child?

  6. 6.

    Does your child enjoy reading? How do you know this?

  7. 7.

    What questions or concerns do you have about reading?

Appendix B: Final Reading Perception Survey

  1. 1.

    What did you learn from this reading program?

  2. 2.

    What did you like the most about the program?

  3. 3.

    How has this program influenced how you read with your child?

  4. 4.

    What suggestions do you have for us about the program?

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Sukhram, D.P., Hsu, A. Developing Reading Partnerships Between Parents and Children: A Reflection on the Reading Together Program. Early Childhood Educ J 40, 115–121 (2012). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10643-011-0500-y

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10643-011-0500-y

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