Nourishing Caregiver Collaborations: Elevating Home Experiences and Classroom Practices for Collective Care

Communication is what teachers and librarians do, and yet, when faced with communicating with caregivers, community members, and students of all stripes, it can seem like the hardest task to get right. Qarooni aims to strengthen the bonds between caregivers and teachers and acknowledge the literacy instruction that goes on intuitively in the home that often gets overlooked by schools. Her approach is based on listening and honoring the students and community, as well as connecting with everyone and reflecting on the situation with guided questions. The text includes charts on communicating with caregivers, resources to explore each topic, questions to make all parties feel at ease, and back matter. Charts and worksheets provide a framework for heightening communication with caregivers and acknowledging literacy support going on at home. Filled with pictures of families and students, as well as stories about the author’s family and people they know, the book feels personal more than academic and at times relies a bit too much on anecdotal evidence.