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Home » Education » Early Care & Education Provider » Ready To Learn

Ready To Learn: Family Messages

What Families Can Do at Home to Help Their Children Do Well in School!

ABOUT -- involvement -- early years -- talking & teaching -- reading strategies
positive expectations -- media literacy -- general messages

What?

Research by Henderson and Mapp (2002) and others indicates that student achievement increases when families are involved in their children’s education. Research has also identified specific actions families can take that will make a difference in their children’s school performance. For example, a family helping their children at home appears to have a greater impact on student achievement than a family volunteering in a classroom.

SO What?

The Ready To Learn service at Iowa Public Television and the Parent Information Resource Center developed messages educators and community members can deliver to families regarding specific actions they can do that may impact their children’s school performance. The premise is that if educators and community members would deliver these messages to families from the time a child was born until he/she graduated from high school, student achievement may increase.

NOW What?

1. Educators and communities should select 2 to 3 “core” messages to deliver to families loudly and often—verbally and in writing—from birth on. Some of the messages are similar to provide districts with optional ways to deliver a message.

2. Select the best methods to deliver the information:

  • parent-teacher conferences
  • back to school nights
  • welcome to school/orientation events
  • report cards
  • postcards/notes included in back packs
  • handbooks
  • bill boards
  • newsletters
  • community newspapers
  • church bulletins
  • grocery bags
  • public service announcements
  • other ideas?

Again, the key is to deliver the same “core” messages loudly and often   

3. Select who can deliver the messages:

  • teachers
  • administrators
  • secretaries and other support personnel
  • coaches
  • community youth program
  • high school parenting classes
  • parenting classes offered by community agencies
  • other ideas?

Download ALL the Family Messages

Message can be downloaded and printed on plain paper, card stock or using Avery 5164 or 8164 labels.

Click links below to print:

Family Messages in English (one of each message)

Family Messages in Spanish (one of each message)

Family Messages in English AND Spanish (an English version and a Spanish version side by side)