Bay-Arenac ISD event highlights everyday role adults play in early literacy

The building blocks of literacy begin long before a child enters a classroom, and Bay-Arenac ISD is working to make sure the adults around them know how to help.

That was the focus of “Partners in Literacy: Birth–3 Early Literacy Essentials,” a March 19 event hosted by Bay-Arenac ISD and the Region 5 MiFamily Engagement Center. The hands-on session brought together 45 parents, educators and community partners to explore how relationships, routines and language-rich interactions can support literacy development from birth through age 3.

Participants included representatives from Head Start, Starting Strong, Early On and Help Me Grow, as well as parents, caregivers and early childhood professionals.

The session highlighted the role everyday interactions play in literacy development, from talking during routines and singing to naming objects in the environment, responding to children’s cues and building language through play and conversation.

Research-based learning was woven throughout the event, with an emphasis on how the first three years of life help shape lifelong literacy skills. Participants explored ways caregivers can strengthen language and literacy through daily interactions rather than relying on flash cards, tablets or expensive materials.

The event also reflects Michigan’s broader literacy efforts. Gov. Gretchen Whitmer has described literacy as “an ordinary superpower that every child deserves,” and the state’s Every Child Reads strategy emphasizes early starts, proven methods and additional support to help more children become strong readers, writers and communicators.

“Events like Partners in Literacy help turn literacy priorities into practice,” says Amy Vallad, Early On and Help Me Grow Michigan coordinator at Bay-Arenac ISD. “When families, educators, and community organizations come together around shared strategies, they strengthen the support system around young children and make literacy-building moments part of everyday life.”

A central message of the event was that early literacy grows through relationships. Adults can help build strong foundations for children by weaving language and learning into feeding, dressing, playtime, story time, transitions and other everyday routines long before formal schooling begins.

For Bay-Arenac ISD and the Region 5 MiFamily Engagement Center, the event is part of an ongoing effort to equip families and professionals with practical, research-based tools that support children’s development and strengthen family engagement in the earliest years.

For more information about Michigan’s Every Child Reads initiative and family literacy resources, visit MiLEAP Every Child Reads and Read With MI. For more information about the Region 5 MiFamily Engagement Center and its initiatives, contact Bay-Arenac ISD.