Pages and Chapters

Empowering teachers to engage families in literacy.

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Open Books is family literacy workshops offered to K-5 students and their parents in Title 1 schools. Formerly offered in libraries, schools and community centers, Open Books now is only offered in local partnering schools; although our curriculum is available for purchase if community members or teachers would like to implement. Parents and kids will work together to practice literacy strategies in a workshop-type setting. Site Directors and Volunteer Literacy Mentors model strategies to enhance skills and offer support each night. Families receive a book at every session! Find your school below and sign up through the Site Directors. To volunteer in Kansas City, contact Becca Maddox at becca@pagesnchapters.org. To volunteer in DC, contact Jenny Albro at jenny@pagesnchapters.org.

How It Works

Parents and students arrive together and sit next to each other to work through our Open Books curriculum. Our curriculum is based on the five essential components of reading per the National Reading Panel (2000): fluency, phonemic awareness, phonics, vocabulary development, and comprehension. Volunteer Literacy Mentors are either partnered directly with a family to go through the curriculum together OR they support the Site Director as they lead and offer support to families, as they need it. Open Books runs for six sessions, typically six consecutive sessions in the summer and six monthly sessions in the school year. After the six sessions, the Pages & Chapters team synthesizes all of the data (surveys and student tracking sheets) and provides the school a report of results for Parental Involvement Title 1 purposes.

2015-16 Open Books School Sites

Mill Creek Upper Elementary
Academie Lafayette, Kansas City, MO
Volunteer at AL!

For Site Directors

Open Books Student Certificate Template
Open Books Literacy Mentor Volunteer Certificate Template

Volunteer Sign Up

Volunteers will arrive 10 minutes before scheduled time so you can greet families as they come. You may choose to help one specific family each week or you may float around to offer more help. Be sure to focus on the literacy strategy modeled at the beginning of the session and have students reflect at the end of each workshop what they have learned. Open Books curriculum is provided that covers the Five Essential Components of Reading (National Reading Panel, 2000). Field experience or practicum hours available through this experience.

Learn more about how to a volunteer literacy mentor by checking out our slide deck.

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What students, parents, teachers and administrators have to say about Open Books:

“I read now for fun more than I did, and reading is becoming easier for me.” –Mira, a 5th grade student who participated in Open Books with her mom

“I love that Open Books is all about getting the families and kids together. I’ve already seen the kids become more excited about reading and the parents have commented about how they like learning ways they can help their kid at home besides just reading to them.” –Valerie Smith, Title 1 Paraprofessional, Kansas City, Missouri

“Breezy is actually a really good reader, but she doesn’t like to read. Coming to Open Books weekly during the summer and monthly during the school year keeps her where she needs to be, and I’m hoping she can get even better!” –Tammy Thurmon, Open Books parent

“We are required, as Title 1 teachers, to conduct two parental involvement evenings each year. By the time I plan, coordinate everything, and stay after school through the parent nights, I’m spending at least 20 hours on just two nights. This [Open Books] has everything done for me. I just have to make some copies and organize parent sign up, and I’m spending maybe 12 hours on six sessions that has results.” –Kimberly Kenyon, Title 1 Reading Teacher, Kentucky Trail Elementary, Belton, Missouri

“This is something that covers everything we need for Title 1 compliance for parental involvement. It offers parent surveys, tracks student data, and has parents actually involved. Plus, we will have results to show at the end of it!” –Dr. Sara Jones, Superintendent of Pupil Services, Belton, Missouri