By: Deborah Megoulas, ESA Youth Services Manager
If you are a parent of a child 5 years old or younger, then the Parent Early Literacy Workshop is meant for you. As your child’s first teacher, the impact you can have by creating an early literacy-rich environment is great. Early literacy experiences provide the foundation for lifelong learning and academic success. There is much you can do during these early years to help your children begin school with the language and skills they will need to be ready to learn how to read.
In this workshop, you will learn what early literacy is, what the six knowledge and skills areas are, and practical ways for helping your child develop each of those skills through the practices of reading, talking, playing, singing, and writing. Language development begins at birth, and so does the significance of nurturing vocabulary, phonological awareness, print awareness, and comprehension skills.
This parent workshop is based on an Early Childhood Educator Workshop we presented in 2025. In that workshop, early childhood educators learned ways to provide enriching storytimes and other literacy-rich activities. Feedback from that program let us know that parents would benefit from a similar workshop. Since research shows that children who start behind typically stay behind, helping parents learn about early literacy and how they can provide early learning opportunities can make an important difference.
The Parent Early Literacy Workshop will be held on Saturday, November 7, 2026, from 10:00 AM until 12:00 pm. We understand that not everyone will be able to leave the kids at home, so if you need to bring them, that’s okay. However, the Library will not be able to provide childcare during the program. We will have coloring sheets and books available in the room for any kids who do attend. Breakfast of coffee and bagels will be served.