Welcome Back, Literacy Champions
Partnering with Families to Build Strong Readers in Alabama
The Alabama Reading Initiative (ARI)
The Alabama Reading Initiative (ARI) is a statewide K-3 initiative committed to supporting the development of high-quality instruction that will prepare all students with the literacy skills needed to meet or exceed grade-level standards.
Our Goal?
100% literacy for Alabama’s public-school students.
Together with families, educators, and communities, we are growing literacy champions across the state.
“Reading just 20 minutes a day exposes children to 1.8 million words a year!”
“We have 50 years of research showing that what families do matters—whether it is loving school or loving books.” – Dr. Karen Mapp
Your home is where the real practice happens! No matter where you live or how much time you have, you are your student's first coach guiding them toward reading victory.
You are helping raise a Literacy Champion every time you:
- Read together, even just 10 minutes a day.
- Ask questions about books or stories.
- Cheer them on when they try a new word,
- Build routines that make reading a part of your daily "game plan".
- Celebrate the small wins that build confidence.
Snuggle up before bedtime or read after school with these champion-worthy stories:
This year, Family Fun Day at the library includes scavenger hunts, storytelling, and even a magician! The magician amazes his audience with many magic tricks, but everyone's favorite magic trick involves his magical hat! When the magician asks them to reach inside the hat, each person pulls out a book about their unique dreams! The audience learns that books can take them anywhere they want to go and that the true magic is not in the magician's hat, it's in their dreams!
The Kissing Hand by Audrey Penn
The Kissing Hand by Audrey Penn
The Kissing Hand is a heartwarming picture book that centers on a young raccoon name Chester who is nervous about starting school and leaving his mother for the first time. Sensing his anxiety, Chester's mother shares a special family secret to comfort him: the "kissing hand."
First Day Jitters
First Day Jitters by Julie Danneberg
First Day Jitters follows Sarah, who is dreading her first day at a new school. She hides under her covers and insists she doesn't want to go. Mr. Hartwell gently encourages her to get ready, assuring her that everyone feels nervous on the first day. Its surprise ending helps children see that adults get nervous too, and that it's completely normal to feel jitters about something new.
Mae's First Day of School by Kate BeRube
As Mae’s first day of school approaches, she decides she IS. NOT. GOING. School is scary! What if the other kids don’t like her? Or what if she’s the only one who doesn’t know how to write? Or what if she misses her mom?
Mae’s anxiety only builds as she walks to school. But then she meets Rosie and Ms. Pearl. Will making new friends show her that they can conquer their fears together?
The Napping House by Audrey Wood
In the napping house is a cozy bed piled high with a snoring granny, a dreaming child, a dozing dog, a snoozing cat, and a slumbering mouse. What could be comfier?
All is at peace until a wakeful flea crawls into the mix. One beastly bite from him and the entire pyramid of sleepers might topple. Is he getting ready to nibble?
Humorous and inviting, this story encourages young kids to read along—and make predictions.
Building Oral Language
Describing:
Show a picture and ask students to do the following with the picture:
- Name it.
- Categorize It.
- Describe its attributes.
Now, compare this picture with another similar picture. Have students describe how they are alike and different.
Odd One Out:
Show a variety of grouped objects or pictures. Then, ask the student to describe which object or picture is out and why.
For example, you may show the student pictures of a shrimp, a fish, and a crab. The student may say, "The fish is out because it does not have legs like the shrimp and crab. The shrimp and crab have a hard shell and the fish does not." The student may also describe other attributes that are alike and different, such as size, color, shape, etc.
Building Language Comprehension
Retelling:
After reading a story with the student, have students retell the story to you in sequence of events. Have the student expand on what was read by asking questions about the text.
For example:
- When/where did this story take place?
- Who is the story about? Who else?
- What is the main character's goal? What is the problem to be solved?
- What did ___ try to do? What happened? What happened next? Why?
- Was the problem solved? Was the goal achieved? How?
- How did the story end?
- Was the author telling us about something important? If so, what?
- Can you tell me more about ____?
- Why do you think ____?
- Do you mean ____?
You can also allow the student an opportunity to formulate questions about the text during or after reading.
My School Year Goals Poster
Skill Focus: Writing, self-awareness, goalsetting
What to Do:
Use markers, stickers, or magazine cutouts to help your child create a poster of 2-3 goals for the school year.
Prompt them with ideas like:
“I want to learn to spell ____.”
“I want to read ___ books.”
Extension: Hang it up and revisit the goals to celebrate progress!
Story Stone Activity
Skill Focus: Language and communication skills, creative thinking
What to Do:
Gather stones or spare jar lids.
Use markers, chalk, or paint to help your student decorate the stones or lids with simple pictures. Use the pictures to create new stories together.
Extension: Retell the story by arranging the stones/lids in logical order to represent the events of the story!
Create Your Daily Reading Game Plan
Skill Focus: Time management, reading habits
What to Do:
Sit down with your student and decide on a regular time and place to read each day. Let them decorate a chart showing their “reading job” and check off each day.
Work with your child to plan when and where reading will happen each day.
Extension: Add rewards like “read for 5 days = a special bookmark or extra story time.”
Key Dates Every Literacy Champion Family Should Know
Just like a winning team follows a game schedule, literacy champions succeed with a strong game plan. Add these key plays to your calendar:
Alabama Literacy Act Family & Community Module Training
Schools will begin offering these sessions during the first semester of school.
Huddle up with your school team to learn how to support your student's reading journey.
Returning champions are encouraged to attend again!
Library Card Sign-Up Month – September
Score big by getting your child a free library card—access to thousands of books and stories for every reading level.
National Family Literacy Month – November
Celebrate your home team’s reading wins all month long.
Read together, visit your library, or set a family reading challenge.
Together we can stick to the game plan and build readers who are ready for any play!