For young children, the path to reading success begins long before the first day of kindergarten. This spring, families across Clackamas County had the opportunity to take an important step on that journey together.

In the 2025-26 school year, our Head Start to Success program received a literacy grant from the Oregon Department of Early Learning and Care designed to support family literacy and early reading development. The grant helped bring family literacy events to classrooms across the county, giving parents and caregivers practical tools they can use at home to support their children’s growth as future readers.

Head Start to Success provides free, comprehensive preschool services to three- and four-year-old children from income-eligible families. The program works in partnership with the Canby, North Clackamas, and Oregon Trail school districts, with additional classrooms at the Clackamas Early Learning Center, to serve children and families throughout Clackamas County.

Thanks to the literacy grant, each classroom hosted a family literacy event where families learned simple, meaningful ways to encourage early reading development through everyday routines. The funding also made it possible for every child to receive high-quality books to take home, helping families continue reading, learning, and building literacy skills together long after the events ended.

Learning to Read Starts Early

Early literacy does not begin with worksheets or formal reading lessons. It begins in the moments children share with the adults in their lives: listening to stories, singing songs, asking questions, pretending during play, and seeing words used in everyday life.

From the earliest years, children are developing the language, listening, thinking, and communication skills that will help them become successful readers. Families play a powerful role in that development.

During the literacy events, parents and caregivers learned about five simple practices that support early literacy: talking, singing, reading, writing, and playing.

Talking with children helps them build vocabulary, understand how language works, and learn to express their thoughts and ideas. Everyday conversations during meals, car rides, or playtime give children meaningful opportunities to hear and use language.

Singing supports early reading by helping children hear the sounds and rhythms of language. Songs, rhymes, and music introduce new words, strengthen listening skills, and make learning joyful.

Reading together is one of the most valuable ways families can support young children. Shared reading builds a love of books, develops language skills, and creates meaningful connections between children and adults. Even a few minutes of reading each day can make a lasting difference.

Writing is another important part of early literacy development. When children see writing used in daily life, they begin to understand that letters and words carry meaning. Drawing, scribbling, and experimenting with writing are all important steps in early literacy development.

Play is equally important. Through play, children build imagination, creativity, problem-solving, and language skills. A ruler can become a magic wand, a cardboard box can become a spaceship, and a friend can become an explorer. These playful experiences help children think symbolically, an essential skill for reading and learning.

Together, these everyday practices help families build a strong foundation for future reading success.

Families Respond

At the end of each family literacy event, families were invited to complete a survey about their experience. Their feedback showed that the events were both valuable and informative.

Seventy-six families reported learning ways to help their children develop early literacy skills. Seventy-one families said the information was helpful, and 62 families expressed interest in attending additional workshops and programs to further support their children’s literacy development.

Families also shared that they learned new strategies and information they could use at home.

In addition to positive feedback, families offered thoughtful suggestions for future events. Some requested more information and strategies to support neurodivergent children. Others suggested incorporating puppets, props, and interactive storytelling techniques to make reading even more engaging for young learners.

Program staff are already looking at ways to incorporate those ideas into next year’s literacy events.

A Shared Commitment to Reading

The success of the family literacy events reflects the power of partnership between schools, programs, and families. By providing parents and caregivers with practical tools, encouraging joyful reading experiences, and sending books home with every child, Head Start to Success is helping families strengthen early literacy one conversation, song, story, scribble, and moment of play at a time.

Together, we can continue helping young readers grow and inspiring every child to develop a lifelong love of reading.