STEP Professional Learning Session: Instructional Resources to Guide Student Practice in School and at Home

To support educators during this unprecedented time, the University of Chicago School of Social Service Administration and Urban Education Institute hosted a virtual professional development series designed to help teachers navigate the unique challenges that have emerged from the COVID-19 pandemic. The seven-part series was designed to help teachers leverage this time as an opportunity to implement innovative teaching practices, facilitate meaningful conversations about race and social justice, and promote resilience and self-care in their students’ lives as well as their own. As part of the series, UChicago Impact's STEP team hosted a session on how teachers can support families in strengthening their child's reading skills at home.

The session focused on supporting parents and caregivers in using the “Guide to Reading With Your Child”—an at-home learning resource designed by the STEP Team. The guide is designed to help parents and caregivers strengthen their child’s foundational reading skills and overall academic achievement through simple, no-cost reading activities that are most appropriate for their child’s reading level. It is designed to walk parents through facilitating interactive read alouds using texts they already have access to either through their child's classroom, local public library, or personal home collection. You can watch the learning session below and you can access the Guide to Reading With Your Child here.