I love hearing imaginative ways of supporting family reading. On a recent course a literacy coordinator in a school with little family involvement told us all about a great half-term challenge. Children and families did all sorts of everyday reading together like following recipes, reading maps, reading emails. They came back to school with wonderful portfolios full of pictures, videos and written work, and, more importantly, increased enthusiasm for reading. This week the Commons Education Select Committee heard from headteacher David Jones about the difficulty of engaging parents in reading initiatives, and how his school got round this. The clip is 19 minutes in. A different strategy used by a school where I gave a workshop was also very successful. They had a whole afternoon and evening of interesting reading-related activities, including demonstrations in every classroom. Their way of reaching the parents and carers they never normally see? All the demonstrators were their children!
Finally, if any proof is needed of the joy of family reading, here is a delightful video of a father and baby laughing together over a book.