University of Houston leads initiative promoting family-based literacy

For today’s K-12 students, learning extends beyond the classroom. According to the National Center on Improving Literacy, parental involvement in at-home reading activities enhances children’s reading abilities, comprehension, and language skills.

Anne Katz, a clinical associate professor of curriculum and instruction at the University of Houston’s College of Education, has been spearheading efforts to engage Houston-area parents in home-based literacy lessons. For four semesters, Katz has guided UH education students—all early childhood pre-service teachers (PSTs)—in developing literacy projects that parents can share with their children.

As part of a curriculum and instruction course taught by Katz, these PSTs created and modeled family literacy activities for children attending Houston’s Pilgrim Academy and their families for two semesters. Under Katz’s guidance, UH education students also designed activities and donated children’s books to public school students around Houston during a field experience week. The projects included personalized introductory letters to parents describing these home-based literacy exercises along with packets containing step-by-step instructions, discussion questions, ideas for differentiation, extensions, and additional materials.

“These projects inspire a culture of literacy within families,” said Katz. “My hope is that this collaboration creates a foundation within their homes where they can further share the joy of reading or perhaps plan family activities around books or visits to their local libraries.”

Past projects have included a family tree activity developed by Marlene Galera, a recent College of Education graduate. Using the book “A Thousand White Butterflies,” Galera's activity encouraged dialogue on family history and different cultures while promoting further reading in both English and Spanish.

“I love this project because it gives students the opportunity to see themselves in literature,” Galera said. “Students can connect with characters that look, feel, and have experiences like them.”

Other student-led activities addressed various themes. Rahma Fatima centered her project on environmental issues using the book “The Water Protectors.” Recent graduate Maritza Silva invited families to create stories inspired by "Pura’s Cuentos: How Pura Belpré Reshaped Libraries with Her Stories," while Alexis Silva embraced storytelling through "Planting Stories: The Life of Librarian and Storyteller Pura Belpré," encouraging students to create original puppets.

These initiatives were featured in journal articles authored by Katz alongside her students in publications such as the 2023 Texas Association for Literacy Education Yearbook and the International Literacy Association Children’s Literature and Reading Special Interest Group journal.

Katz has celebrated these projects with participating families during special reading nights at Pilgrim Academy. She also presented this program at UH’s Symposium on Community Engagement and Experiential Learning alongside former Pilgrim Academy principal Diana Castillo.

Feedback from PSTs and parents has been positive. In follow-up surveys, parents expressed enthusiasm for how these literacy activities enriched their appreciation for reading. One parent noted: “(We) spend more time discussing pictures—asking why the illustrator chose to draw certain things...”

“It is wonderful to see the impact that these projects are having on local families,” Katz remarked.

Over four semesters, Katz oversaw over 250 PSTs who developed these projects for local families. Supported by Cougar Initiative to Engage (CITE), UH's 2018-2023 Quality Enhancement Plan aimed at increasing high-impact experiential learning activities; CITE awarded 125 grants funding 90 programs benefiting over 6,000 students.