Parent to Parent: Letter from Literacy Ambassador Gohar C.

(All drawings were created by Gohar’s daughter)

Dear Parents,

As we enter 2025 and reflect on our children’s educational goals, we must consider what our children are achieving and what they continue to struggle with every day. On top of their school instruction, what else can we do as proactive parents to bring greater results and help fill gaps in our children’s learning journeys? The good news is that, by implementing evidence-based techniques and working together with teachers and organizations like Families In Schools, we can turn educational obstacles into success stories.

If your child is struggling to read on grade level, for example, exploring the research behind the science of reading might help you understand why and help your child improve. The six pillars of early literacy foundational skills, rooted in this scientific approach, are a valuable tool that can help you understand the connection between each skill, identify which area your child is challenged by, and work with your child at home and their teacher at school to become a more proficient reader. This work starts from birth but is especially critical once kindergarten starts as your child actively engages in reading at school and begins building a love for literature. 

As a parent, I know how helping your child on their reading journey can be difficult. Since you are the one spending the most time with them in their early years, you will likely be the first to notice and intervene on any problems they’re having with reading. This task, on top of all the hard work you do every day for your family, can be daunting, especially without early literacy training or tools.

However, please remember, all this work isn’t on you! There are so many organizations and resources out there that can support you and your child in their reading development, and once your child begins school, their teacher and reading instruction will be what matters most for them to stay on track and read at grade level. Here are just a few small tips, though, of what you can do as a parent to help your child’s literacy journey based on my own experiences:

  1. Be a Reading Role Model: Children often mirror the behavior around them, especially from their parents. If you read around your child, whether it’s from a book, magazine, or article, you will attract their attention and spark their interest in reading as an activity you can enjoy.
  2. Read with Your Child from Birth: To foster a lifelong love of reading, story time with your child should start from the cradle. Reading with your child every day will create precious bonding moments that you both love.
  3. Build Learning Routines: When you read with your child and come across words that are new to them, ask them to repeat these words and explain the meaning to them. I knew phonics and memorization were very important for my own children, so I paid close attention to pronunciation and building their vocabulary base through repetition. I also taught them synonyms and antonyms to foster their learning processes.
  4. Ask Engaging Questions: When your child starts school, ask them about their day to let them know how important their learning experience is. This can be anything from “What’s a story you read?” to “What’s a new word or idea that you learned?”. Building a rapport with your child’s teacher is also extremely important; ask them not just about how your child is eating or sleeping but also about their homework, learning progress, and achievements.
  5. Take Advantage of Available Resources: LAUSD offers many useful applications and tools, like Schoology and Family Academy courses, that can foster learning outcomes and help you stay informed as a parent. You can also find plenty of literacy and learning opportunities for free at places like your local library, which often offers tutoring, story times, and more!

Above all, do your best to nurture a positive atmosphere for learning in your home. Your child will face new challenges along their learning journey, but keep going. Every new word and story they read is a triumph that should be celebrated. Empowering and trusting your child, loving them unconditionally, and doing your best for their hope and future will make all the difference in the world. I believe in you; I believe in all of us parents. 

Stay safe and be good to yourself,

Gohar C., Literacy Ambassador & Parent
Read LA! Campaign
Families In Schools