Status: On Demand
Duration: 58 minutes
What does the journey to reading look like for families, and how can early childhood professionals support it?
In this webinar, Maya Smart, author of Reading for Our Lives: A Literacy Action Plan from Birth to Six, discusses how interactive talk and early relationships lay the foundation for literacy. Drawing on research and her personal journey as a parent and advocate, she emphasizes the critical role educators, caregivers, and communities play in supporting parents on the “road to reading.”
Joined by Araceli Luna Diaz of The Concilio and moderated by Jen Rhodes of LENA, this conversation explores actionable strategies for empowering families and building early literacy from the ground up.
Topics covered:
- The four essentials families need on the road to reading
- How early talk supports literacy development
- Ways to turn research into everyday practice
- The importance of community partnerships as “roadside assistance” for families
- A call to action for professionals supporting young children and their caregivers
Panelists:
- Maya Smart, Author and Literacy Advocate
- Araceli Luna Diaz, Education Manager, The Concilio
- Moderator: Jen Rhodes, Philanthropy Project Lead, LENA