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Supporting Literacy at Home: A Parent’s Perspective with Elva Joseph

In today’s fast-paced world, parents are increasingly becoming key partners in supporting their children’s academic success. Elva Joseph, a single mother of three, offers a fresh and valuable perspective on the role parents play in fostering literacy and learning at home. With a full-time career as a Certified Surgical Technologist and 20 years of experience in healthcare, Elva’s ability to balance work, parenting, and education makes her insights particularly valuable.


Through her interview, she shares practical strategies and valuable lessons that can help other parents support their children’s literacy development—whether they have a teaching background or not.



A Unique Perspective on Parenting and Teaching

Elva is the proud mother of three children, including a 19-year-old Marine, an 8-year-old, and a 4-year-old. As a mother juggling the demands of work and family life, she recognizes the challenges that come with supporting her children’s education, particularly when it comes to reading. As Elva explains, reading and homework can sometimes be a struggle, especially with her 8-year-old, but she believes in the power of consistency, patience, and finding strategies that work for her family’s routine.


For Elva, her background in healthcare and her experience teaching at the college level have provided her with a unique skill set to approach teaching. While she finds hands-on learning to be natural, Elva admits that when it comes to traditional reading from textbooks, it can be easy to lose interest. Despite these challenges, she emphasizes the importance of developing a routine that keeps her children engaged and motivated in their reading journey.


Strategies for Effective Literacy Support

One of Elva’s key strategies for supporting her children’s literacy development is the consistent practice of sight words. By reviewing sight words weekly and following up with short quizzes, Elva helps reinforce her children’s foundational reading skills. This regular practice helps her child retain the words while also building confidence in their reading abilities.


Elva also stresses the importance of giving her children breaks during homework and reading sessions to prevent frustration. Recognizing when to pause and take a breather helps to avoid breakdowns, especially when her 8-year-old begins to feel overwhelmed. This strategy ensures that her children remain focused and less likely to become discouraged, which is crucial when it comes to fostering a positive attitude toward reading and learning.


Collaboration Between Schools and Families

In her interview, Elva discusses how vital it is for schools and families to work together to support children’s literacy. She values the communication from teachers who send home extra work that reinforces what is being taught in the classroom. This extra practice ensures that her children are not only mastering the material but also receiving personalized support to address areas where they may need improvement.


Additionally, Elva highlights how literacy nights, hosted at her children’s school, have become a great resource. During these events, parents have the opportunity to learn about online applications and programs their children are using in the classroom. They can also take home books and other educational materials, ensuring that learning continues beyond the school day.


The Evolving Role of Parents

Elva’s perspective reinforces the evolving role of parents in today’s educational landscape. She believes that parents can be effective in enhancing their children’s reading skills and overall academic success by setting aside time for reading, reinforcing classroom lessons at home, and collaborating with teachers. Even without being professional educators themselves, parents can make a lasting impact on their children’s literacy journey by being proactive, supportive, and involved.


Through Elva’s experience, it’s clear that fostering a love for reading doesn’t require formal teaching credentials, it requires patience, consistency, and a commitment to supporting children’s learning in ways that work best for the family.


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Our mission is to empower parents with the tools and confidence to support their child’s reading journey. We provide easy-to-use resources, engaging activities, and practical strategies designed to bridge the gap between home and school. By equipping you with step-by-step guidance and proven interventions, we help create a strong literacy foundation for your child. Our purpose is simple: to make reading support effective, accessible, and impactful so every child can thrive and succeed.

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