• The Office of Early Learning and Literacy (OELL) at the South Carolina Department of Education (SCDE) and the Office of Virtual Education are committed to a vision for family engagement that ensures families and community members actively engage with children, students, teachers, school personnel, education leaders, and decision-makers as full partners in the shared responsibility of preparing all learners for college, career, and citizenship. The SCDE seeks to empower families and community members by providing capacity-building assistance and resources for effective family engagement that promotes literacy. A Family Engagement Framework has been developed following a statewide collaborative effort of stakeholders for districts and schools to use as support for family and community engagement. In addition, the SCDE created Supporting Early Literacy at Home: A Parents’ Guide, which is a tool for parents and families that promotes children’s early literacy development. This memo outlines the details regarding a free online family resource to support family engagement in early learning and literacy.

    Supporting Early Literacy at Home: A Parents’ Guide is an online resource designed to provide information for parents and caregivers so that they can support their children’s early literacy development. Research shows that parent/caregiver involvement is the number one predictor of early literacy success as well as future academic success. The guide provides information and strategies that will equip parents and caregivers with tools to support children from birth through the beginning years of school. Each module includes a video introduction, resources to view,resources to read, and a place to reflect and respond.

    The guide does not require a login, and the link can be added to the webpages hosted by districts, schools, and professional organizations. Below is the link to this resource guide: