Celebrate National Family Literacy Month

November is National Family Literacy Month and the perfect time to explore resources that can spark a love of reading in your classroom and at home.

Consistently emphasizing reading at home and during spare time and finding different ways to get children interested in reading are important for their development and to their academic success. As we approach the holiday season and children are home more often, it’s a great time to dig into a good book. It’s also a good time for educators to start thinking about next year and identifying professional development opportunities and resources to help their classroom.

Explore resources to help you ignite a passion for reading, or to dive deeper and explore more areas of interest.

General Resources

• National Family Literacy Month: Explore the National Center for Families Learning library of publications, research materials, and other resources for the latest on family literacy, family engagement, and family leadership 
• San Diego Literacy Council: Find resources and data, including the council’s Parent Guide in English or Spanish, which provides information to assist families in practicing activities 
• Scholastic Kids and Family Reading Report: A biennial survey of parents’ and children’s reading attitudes and behaviors, which includes a family guide with tips and recommendations for specific age levels.
• Teaching Books: An engaging collection of resources that brings books to life and help emerging readers

Free Family Reading

Local and state library systems are vast! Visit a location near you or explore the San Diego Library or San Diego County Library online and find out how to access e-books, audio books, or e-magazines.

Both sites' e-library sections have links to free tutoring, free access to ABC Mouse, and more. 
On the state library website, adults and young adults can explore career pathways and free access to learning opportunities, such as Coursera. There are also free student resources, such as live online tutoring, digital resources, and Ask a Librarian program. 

Recommended Literature List

The California Department of Education coordinates the development of a Recommended Literature list with the assistance of teachers, teacher librarians employed by schools and public libraries, administrators, curriculum planners, and parents. The list is a collection of outstanding literature for children and adolescents in grades prekindergarten through grade 12 in all disciplines.

SDCOE Equity Library

In an effort to provide schools and students books that address equity in an age-appropriate manner, SDCOE has compiled a selection of titles that have been recommended by educators or have received national recognition. This list is not meant to be exhaustive, nor is a book’s inclusion an endorsement of a particular political viewpoint. You know your community best and which resources to share and how.

Explore these titles and more at TeachingBooks, where you can find resources such as author interviews, book readings, and trailers. View by grade level:

• 2025 SDCOE Equity Library, TK-Grade 2
• 2025 SDCOE Equity Library, Grades 3-5
• 2025 SDCOE Equity Library, Grades 6-8
• 2025 SDCOE Equity Library, Grades 9-12

SDCOE Educator Professional Learning Opportunities

• Project CLEAR: Through this two-year program, participants will become teachers leaders who can train and coach teachers to implement comprehensive literacy strategies in schools and K-12 interventions for students who have reading, writing, and language-based needs.
• Project ARISE: Join the Project ARISE team in a dynamic, data-driven partnership designed to support teachers through collaborative learning cycles that lead to stronger, more equitable literacy outcomes for all students.