“In a global economy, where the most valuable skill you can sell is your knowledge, a good education is no longer just a pathway to opportunity. It is a prerequisite.”
FIS’ Early Education and Family Literacy Programs serve as a gateway to involve parents in their child’s education. By engaging parents of young children, parents become involved in their child’s academic experience from the very beginning. FIS provides the following early education and family literacy programs as a direct service to parents or using a “Coach the Trainer” approach:
For more information on Early Education and Family Literacy programs, contact Debra Colman at dcolman@familiesinschools.org
Read with Me/Lea Conmigo is a family involvement program designed to improve the early literacy skills of infants and toddlers, preschool children, and students in kindergarten through 1st grade. The program engages families in early reading activities by providing a weekly supply of award-wining children’s books into the home.
There are many roads to the world of literacy. Sometimes the path is reading and sometimes its writing. Speaking and listening are also avenues that lead literacy development. This curriculum serves as a map to help guide families on their literacy journey. Reading Roads/Caminos para Leer is a family literacy academy for parents of Kindergarten through 5th grade students. Each lesson has activities for parents to do at home with Kindergarten – 1st Grade children, 2nd – 3rd Grade children, and 4th-5th Grade children. Based in socio-contextual learning, this curriculum has a total 5 lessons which connect to various themes families hold close to their hearts: These themes include family, culture, community, opportunity, and celebration.
Blueprints for Parents is a 12-hour program that encourages parents to explore key family values that help their children become resilient to negative influences which often serve as barriers to academic achievement and social and emotional development.
Abriendo Puertas/Opening Doors(AP) is the nation’s first evidence-based parent leadership training program for Latino parents with children 0-5 years of age. This curriculum, delivered in ten interactive sessions, is based on popular education and draws on the real life experiences and cultural strengths of its participants.
Ready for Kinder helps parents understand how they can actively support their children’s transition from home to kindergarten. The curriculum focuses on how student academic and social development can be ensured through the active participation of parents in the education of their children.
The Million Word Challenge is a community-wide literacy campaign promoting a culture of literacy at home and academic achievement at school. This initiative challenges students to read MILLIONS of WORDS outside of the classroom, while helping to connect families and schools together around the joy of reading beyond the bell. The campaign was created by the LAUSD-Local District 5 in 2003 and is currently carried out in schools throughout Los Angeles County. The 2009 Million Word Challenge is presented by Families In Schools, La Opinion, and the Los Angles County Office of Education, with supporting sponsorship from the Pearson Foundation. Also, the Million Word Challenge has enlisted the support of civic officials, education leaders, and celebrities across the county.
The 6th annual Feria del Libro: A Family Book Fair is a community-wide event promoting a culture of literacy at home and academic achievement at school, where quality culturally-relevant books are available to children of all ages.
Programs & Services 
Abriendo Puertas/Opening Doors(AP) is the nation’s first evidence-based parent leadership training program for Latino parents with children 0-5 years of age. This curriculum, delivered in ten interactive sessions, is based on popular education and draws on the real life experiences and cultural strengths of its participants. .jpg "Read more...")
