In September ReadBoston’s Parent Literacy Leadership Initiative kicked off its fourth year of coaching and mentoring parents across Boston to lead early literacy workshops for other parents and caregivers. This year ReadBoston is expanding its capacity and will be coaching 18 Parent Literacy Leaders to lead a minimum of 24 workshops across the city. These parents live in Allston, Charlestown, Dorchester, East Boston, Jamaica Plain, Mattapan, Roxbury, and the West End, and they will be leading workshops in different languages including Spanish, Portuguese, Vietnamese, Arabic, and English. ReadBoston is excited to be working with this fabulous team!
A child’s early years are a critical time for literacy and oral language development. This innovative Initiative expands ReadBoston’s capacity to reach all of Boston’s families with early literacy strategies, children’s books and resources. Parent Literacy Leaders participate in 20 hours of leadership training and an additional 5 hours of individual coaching. At their workshops parents model interactive reading, talking and singing activities, and families who attend receive a collection of multilingual children’s books and literacy materials to take home.
Last year Parent Literacy Leaders organized and led 14 workshops across Boston reaching over 140 parents and caregivers of young children. We appreciate the key support of our community partners in this effort: Boston Family Engagement Network (BFEN), Dorchester Boys and Girls Club, Dorchester Neighborhood House, East Boston Social Center, Maverick Center/Countdown to Kindergarten, Nurtury Learning Lab at Bromley Heath, Smart from the Start at Bromley Heath, Temporary Women’s Shelter, and the Young Achievers School.
Parent Literacy Leadership is funded in part by EEC’s Coordinated Family and Community Engagement Grant (CFCE).
