Parents as Partners:
The Compact for Reading

The Compact for Reading is a free guide on how to develop a compact, or written agreement, among families, teachers, principals, and students. The compact describes how all partners can help improve the reading skills of children from kindergarten through third grade, including those with disabilities and with limited English proficiency. Tutors and other community members can also be partners in a Compact for Reading.

Research shows that schools with properly implemented compacts raise student achievement higher than similar schools without compacts. Principals reported greater family involvement in homework and more parents reading with children at home. Schools with the greatest need seem to benefit the most.

The Compact Guide comes with a School-Home Links Kit to help implement local compacts. Developed by teachers for the U.S. Department of Education, the kit provides 100 reading activities for each grade from kindergarten through third. Three to four times a week, a teacher can provide these easy-to-use activities to families to expand student learning at home and encourage family involvement in reading activities.

Contact:
U.S. Department of Education
(877) 4ED-PUBS
www.ed.gov/pubs/CompactforReading/