Adult
Children
and Teen
Engagement
What is SV Reads?
@siliconvalleyreads
Toolkit for Family and Community Engagement
What is SV Reads?
Children
and Teen
Adult
Engagement
Mission
To encourage individuals of all ages to read and discuss selected books as a way to engage the community and promote open dialogue about ideas and interests that are relevant to Silicon Valley.
Vision
The diverse Silicon Valley community will develop new perspectives and greater respect for one another through a deeper understanding of important issues and identified shared values.
Goals
What is SV Reads?
Silicon Valley Reads is a community engagement program that features books and an annual theme to bring people together by providing more than 100 free, public events each year in February and March. Events for all ages include author talks, book clubs, art/music events, community activities, arts and crafts, movies, and creative events or activities based on the theme each year.
Silicon Valley Reads is back in 2024 with a renewed commitment to foster collaboration and create awareness around the importance of sustainability. Our theme is "A Greener Tomorrow Starts Today". To ensure a thriving world for future generations, we're committed to fostering meaningful conversations and offering practical ideas for individuals to take action towards sustainability.
Family and Community Engagement
In support of the mission and vision of Silicon Valley Reads, this toolkit emphasizes the importance of making connections within the family and community context. Parents are role models for their children, and we want to leverage that relationship to maximize impact for literacy and reading comprehension.
How to Use This Toolkit
Step 1
Learn more about a featured reading strategy
Example - Read Aloud
Step 2
Select the book you want to read
Example - To Change a Planet
Step 3
Enrich your reading experience with resources
Example - To Change a Planet
Children
and Teen
Adult
Engagement
Contents
Check out the following resources that you can use with your family and community to enhance your reading experience.
Click on the link to take you to the designated slide in this Toolkit.
Featured Reading Strategy
Selected Book
Featured Reading Strategy
Selected Book
Children
and Teen
Adult
Engagement
As you read in this notebook, feel free to copy and paste any of these icons onto the pages in a way that makes sense to you.
Tip: Use the fill tool to change the color
Thanks to: Hand-Drawn Goods Icons • License: Creative Commons Attribution
✋👆👉👍👤👦👧👨👩👪💃🏃💑❤😂😉😋😒😭👶😸🐟🍒🍔💣📌📖🔨🎃🎈🎨🏈🏰🌏🔌🔑
😉
You can also use any emoji as an icon!�And of course it resizes without losing quality.
Check out this Read Aloud example:
Find more ideas here:
Revisiting Read Alouds: Instructional Strategies that Encourage Students’ Engagement with Text from Reading Rockets
Interactive Read Alouds
from EL RISE! Slides in English and Español
Family Resource Pages English, Español, Tiếng Việt & 中文
Reading Questions Bookmark
from California Reading Association
What is a Read Aloud?
A Read Aloud is the practice where a teacher, parent, or caregiver reads a story in an interactive, animated way to give emphasis and attention to what is happening in the story so that the listener can make meaning of what is being read. The reader can accomplish this by using a combination of the following techniques:
Read Alouds are fun to do with children from birth to grade 3.
Interactive Read Aloud
Children
and Teen
Adult
Interactive Read Aloud
Create your own gummy molecule models
from NASA Science Play Space
To Change a Planet Storytime Toolkit
from https://soontornvat.com/books/to-change-a-planet/
Interview with author and illustrator
from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qm4o1m8iSPs
To Change a Planet (Pre-K to 1st grade)
by Christina Soontornvat
English Introduction by Christina Soontornvat
Children
and Teen
Adult
Find the full Reading Comprehension 12-card sets here in your preferred language:
Reading Comprehension Cards
If you have children in 3rd grade and higher, try using these Reading Comprehension Cards. These open ended questions are intended to spark inquiry and continuous conversation about the story. Reading comprehension cards can be used at any time of reading to build understanding and connection to the story. You can use them randomly at any pause in the story. There are no wrong answers.
Here are some sample questions:
Reading Comprehension
Children
and Teen
Adult
Reading Comprehension
The Forest Man (2nd - 4th grade)
by Anne Matheson
The Forest Man of India - Meet Jadav Payeng
Go on a Nature Walk - Nature Bingo Card
from https://homemadeheather.com/free-nature-bingo-printables/
Volunteer To Plant a Tree - Our City Forest
from https://www.ourcityforest.org/
Appreciate our world - Nature rubbing art activity
from https://youtu.be/ZendMjhVoMI?si=aSRVqzQZD2xbLI36
Children
and Teen
Adult
Book Club
Facilitating a book club is a great way to connect with friends and make new ones as well. Here are a few Group Facilitation Tips to ensure a satisfying experience for all:
Host a Family Book Club
Books are great ways to open up connection between adults and their youth! It provides common grounds to gain insight into the author’s perspective and gives a platform to explore each reader’s personal reflections. Try these discussion questions for your family book club. 50 Book Club Questions for Any Selection
More Resources
What To Do When A Group Member Talks Too Much
Discussion Facilitator’s Guide
Children
and Teen
Adult
Book Club
Two Degrees (5th - 8th grade)
by Alan Gratz
From Scholastic
from SCCOE Parent Engagement Program Staff
From National Geographic Kids
Children
and Teen
Adult
Book Club
Don’t Call Me a Hurricane
(High School / Young Adult)
by Ellen Hagan
by Bloomsbury Publishing
Don’t Call Me a Hurricane Discussion Guide
From SCCOE Parent Engagement Program Staff
A youth-led organization advancing justice and sustainability
Adult
The Santa Clara County Office of Education would like to thank our partners in the effort to increase readership and family and community engagement.
If you have any questions regarding the Read Alouds or Book Club facilitation guides, please contact jkoo@sccoe.org
Family Literacy Engagement Info Session with the San Jose Public Library
This webinar showcases FREE library programming events, literacy tips, and strategies to support parents of elementary, middle, and high school students.
What is SV Reads?
Children
and Teen
Adult
Engagement