We will explore many ways family members can support literacy for their children at home during the summer. We will discuss why it’s important to support literacy in the summer, the 5 components of reading and how parents can support them in summer, picking the “right” book, and other tips, strategies, and everyday opportunities for families to engage with their children around literacy in summer.

Learning Objectives:

• To learn why summer literacy is important
• To gain strategies for supporting the 5 components of literacy
• To learn how to pick the “right” book

Presenter: Jan Serak is the Director of Serak Consulting Services, LLC, where she contracts with nonprofit organizations to provide Board training, interim nonprofit management, curriculum development, and other services. Prior to her retirement, she was the founder and CEO of WI FACETS. She was also a founder and the Parent Partner of the WI Special Education Mediation System. Jan has served on many Boards, including National PLACE, Autism Society of America; Autism Society of SE WI and Autism Society of WI; the Center for Alternative Dispute Resolution in Special Education (CADRE). She also served on the WI State Superintendent’s Council on Exceptional Education, WI Governor’s Read to Lead Task Force, OSEP State Advisory Panel, Quality Education Coalition, and the National Center for Deaf-Blindness Advisory Board. Jan received her M.A. in Educational Psychology and Dispute Resolution from Marquette University. She is the parent of two adult sons, one of whom has autism.