Libraries emerging as leaders in parent engagement 

The 13 parents and toddlers practicing their cobra positions at the Westminster, Md., library may have signed up for the Yoga and Kiddies program, but Ms. Jen, the instructor, has some news for them: There’s more serious business at hand. The bending, stretching, and chanting help with vocabulary development, fine motor skills, and brain development, Ms. Jen tells the group. She should know: Ms. Jen is a trained early literacy specialist. What looks like yoga is actually part of a national initiative helping these parents prepare their children for later success in school. 

The role parents play in preparing their young children for school is generating a lot of attention these days. The American Academy of Pediatrics recently issued a statement recommending that parents read aloud to their infants from birth (Rich, 2014). Legislators at the national and state level are also championing the message of more parent engagement. This confirms what many educators have been saying for years: Parents play a pivotal part in a child’s school readiness. Unfortunately, not all parents are prepared to do this. Many parents, particularly those living in low-income communities, face challenges in filling this role. Our research shows that families living in low-income neighborhoods have access to fewer books and computers; low-income children also spend less time reading with a parent or other adult. The result is that low-income preschoolers hear fewer words and gain less knowledge, thus falling behind their affluent peers before they even set foot in kindergarten (Neuman & Celano, 2012).