Mother helping elementary son with homework

Reading 101: A Guide for Parents

It’s not an easy thing, learning to read and write. Discover what it takes to build important literacy skills, and how you can help your children grow as readers, writers, and thinkers!

National Education Association (NEA)

Reading 101: A Guide for Parents was developed in partnership with the National Education Association and Colorín Colorado.

Welcome, parents! 

One of the most important gifts we can give our children is to help them learn to read and write so that they can succeed in school and beyond. Confident, active readers are able to use their reading skills to follow their passions and curiosity about the world. We all read for a purpose: to be entertained, to take a journey of the imagination, to connect with others, to figure out how to do something, and to learn about history, science, the arts, and everything else. 

Learning to read is complex. Children don’t learn one reading-related skill and then move on to the next in a step-by-step process. Instead, they are learning to do many things at the same time: decoding, reading with comfortable fluency, absorbing new vocabulary, understanding what the text says, and discovering that reading is pleasurable and builds knowledge about the world.

We hope this guide will give you a better understanding of what it takes to learn to read (and write) and how you can help your children grow as readers, writers, and learners!

What does it take to become a strong reader?

Don’t forget about writing!

Red-headed young boy outside writing in notebook

Writing 101 for Parents

Writing Basics

From handwriting to personal stories to persuasive writing to explaining how to do something, writing is a critical skill. Developing good writing skills strengthens a child’s vocabulary, comprehension, and spelling skills.

Reading instruction at your child’s school

How to know if your child is getting good reading instruction

All children deserve quality reading instruction that is based on research and best practices. How can you know if your child is getting good reading instruction at school? Find out what good reading instruction should look like and questions you should ask your child’s teacher.

Second grade teacher giving an ELA lesson to small group of students sitting on the carpet.
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