Resources

Webinars & Tutorials

RIF hosts webinars throughout the year across various topics to support our partners with relevant resources and educational materials ranging from how to apply for a matching grant, implementing a successful Books for Ownership program, to how to do a read aloud. All RIF webinars are archived for your continued use.

  • April 24, 2024  |  7-8pm ET  Every Family Counts: Read Aloud Every Day in Every Way | Register now
  • April 30, 2024  |  7-8pm ET  Every Book Counts: Every Book is an Outdoor Learning Book | Register now
  • May 1, 2024  |  7-8pm ET  Every Educator Counts: ¡Cuéntame! Let’s Talk Books | Register now
  • May 29, 2024  |  7-8pm ET  Every Family Counts: Digital Literacies/Online Safety | Register now

View 2023-24 Webinar Schedule

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Designing Your Family Literacy Night
Designing your Family Literacy Event
March 28, 2024

During this interactive webinar, participants will learn how to plan and implement a family literacy event for their school. We will showcase RIF resources that support planning such as read aloud guides, hands-on literacy activities, and more. We will also share best practices in creating a welcoming and inclusive event for families.

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Using Funds of Knowledge Webinar
Using Funds of Knowledge Approaches to Bridge Home and School Literacies
February 28, 2024

Funds of Knowledge is a culturally responsive approach that honors the unique skills, knowledges, and competencies of all families. Through a series of case studies and a RIF funds of knowledge survey, educators will begin to explore the unique funds of knowledge of their families. This approach builds confianza (mutual trust) between educators and families and promotes innovative designs to curriculum and instruction.

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Developing Family Literacy Practices Webinar
Developing Family Literacy Practices to Support Children Birth-Age 5
February 15, 2024

Did you know that learning to read begins at birth? During this webinar RIF’s literacy experts will demonstrate at-home literacy tips for families of children from birth through age five. Content from the webinar and related materials include simple activities you can use to support phonological awareness, concepts about print, and reading engagement in the early years.

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Family Engagement Webinar
Family Engagement: From Barriers to Best Practices
January 31, 2024

During this interactive webinar, participants will collaborate to determine common barriers that stand in the way of effective family engagement. Then we will learn what research says about best practices to overcome these barriers. Educators will work together to design solutions to overcome the barriers they are facing based on research-based best practices.

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Expanding Definitions of Families and Literacies Webinar
Expanding Definitions of Families and Literacies
November 29th, 2023

During this interactive webinar, participants will learn about family inclusive language. This webinar will feature a read aloud of Family Is… with permission from Clever Publishing. Educators will leave the meeting with asset-based language to family engagement to integrate into their practices. 

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Who We Are Webinar
Who We Are: Storytelling as Culturally Responsive Pedagogy
October 25, 2023

During this interactive webinar, participants will get to know each other through engaging with storytelling as a culturally responsive literacy practice. Storytelling is an excellent practice to enhance students’ reading and writing skills as well as social emotional development. Educators will leave the meeting with actionable strategies they can incorporate into their literacy practices.

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Every Book is a Writing Instruction Book
Every Book is a Writing Instruction Book
October 5, 2023

During this interactive webinar, K-8 educators will learn how to use books from their classroom library to engage students in writing instruction through children’s literature. Children's literature is an excellent way to help students demonstrate increasing sophistication in all aspects of language use, from vocabulary and syntax to the development and organization of ideas in their writing. The webinar will be facilitated by Dowan McNair-Lee, Ed.D. and will feature a read aloud of Sweet Music in Harlem by Debbie A. Taylor, with permissions granted from Lee & Low Publishing.

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Using Literacy Tracker Data to Inform Instruction
Using Literacy Tracker Data to Inform Instruction
September 27, 2023

During this interactive webinar, we will take a deep dive into RIF’s Literacy Tracker tool. Literacy Tracker is a supplemental formative assessment tool that can accompany your school’s main assessment platform to gain further insights into students’ reading processes and progress anytime throughout the school year. During this webinar, educators will engage with student data points and work together to develop implementable reading strategies based on student data.

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Re-Envisioning Family Engagement in a Post-Pandemic Landscape
Re-Envisioning Family Engagement in a Post-Pandemic Landscape
August 30, 2023

In this debut webinar, this panel of education experts will highlight lessons learned from the pandemic and beyond to build best practices for forming transformative relationships between schools and families. Our guests will explore topics related to definitions of family and successful engagement; the role of Social Emotional Learning and technology; as well as highlight personal experiences with successful family engagement models.

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Every Book is an Arts Book
Every Book is an Arts Book
June 6, 2023

During this interactive webinar, educators will learn how to use books from their classroom library to engage students in literature through arts integration. The arts- such as visual, poetry, puppetry, drama, dance, and music- are an excellent way to help students to determine central ideas and themes, analyze characters, interpret words and phrases, make connections, and assess points of view.

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Literacy Begins Early (en Español)
Literacy Begins Early! (en Español)
May 17th, 2023

Did you know that learning to read begins at birth? During this Spanish language webinar, Allison Elias-de Jesus, a certified reading specialist, will demonstrate at-home literacy tips for parents of children from birth through age four. Content from the webinar and related materials will include simple activities families can use at home to support phonological awareness, print concepts, and reading engagement in the early years.

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Every Book is a Social Justice Book
Every Book is a Social Justice Book
February 2nd, 2023

During this interactive webinar, educators will learn how to use books from their classroom library to engage students in Social Justice Learning. Storybooks are an excellent resource that help students to identify issues relating to access, equity, and inclusion. Daris McInnis, Assistant Professor of Literacy, will model how to guide students to become changemakers by identifying social justice issues and inspiring them to take action. Don't miss this unique chance to learn how to use books in innovative and creative ways with your students.

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Every Book is a Math Book
Every Book is a Math Book
November 16th, 2022

During this interactive webinar, educators will learn how to use books from their classroom library to engage students in math problem-solving. Picture books are an excellent resource that help students identify mathematical problems in everyday life, including number sense, geometry, measurement, and algebraic thinking.

We’ll be joined by special guest and educational consultant Kelly Harmon, MAEd, who will model how to guide students through using literature to promote math learning and provide examples to illustrate the concept of math through literature.

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Every Book is an SEL Book
Every Book is an SEL Book
September 21, 2022

PreK- Grade 3 educators are invited to get new tips and ideas for using classroom read alouds to engage students in social emotional learning (SEL) through an interactive webinar, Every Book is a Social and Emotional Learning (SEL) Book hosted by Reading Is Fundamental. This webinar archive will also feature special guest hosts, Stefanie Wieder, M.S.Ed., and Paula Jackson, Ph.D., from Barefoot Books who will model how to guide students through this exercise.

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REI Center Tutorial Webinar
Race, Equity, and Inclusion Center Tutorial
June 13, 2022

Watch this short tutorial to learn more about RIF’s Race, Equity, and Inclusion Center. This center provides booklists, resources, and tips to assess your current collection of books, identify diverse books to add to your evolving bookshelves, and incorporate practical suggestions for supporting students and with positive reading experiences.

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Every Book is an Engineering Book
Every Book is an Engineering Book
April 27, 2022

This webinar, proudly supported by Trane Technologies, is part of RIF’s “Every Book Counts” webinar series, dedicated to reading and the power of books! Educators will learn how to use books from their classroom library to engage students in the engineering design process. Storybooks are an excellent resource that help students to identify problems a character faces, design solutions, and engage in the engineering design process. And, Erin Bailey, RIF’s Director of Programs & Content and a certified reading specialist, will model how to guide students through this exercise.

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Literacy Begins Early Webinar
Literacy Begins Early!
April 3, 2022

Did you know that learning to read begins at birth? During this webinar RIF’s Director of Programs & Content, Erin Bailey, a certified reading specialist, demonstrates at-home literacy tips for parents of children from birth through age four. Content from the webinar and related materials include simple activities you can use to support phonological awareness, concepts about print, and reading engagement in the early years.

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Diverse Books in Practice
Diverse Books In Practice (Part 2)
October 14, 2021

Join this thought-provoking discussion with experts discussing the wide variety and beauty of diverse books and the deep value of including them both in the classroom and at home as well as how to incorporate them into everyday use.

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Diversify Your Bookshelf
Diversify Your Book Shelf (Part 1)
October 7, 2021

Join this panel of experts as they discuss the fundamental questions about diverse books. You will leave this session knowing how to evaluate and select diverse books for classroom and home libraries.

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Family Literacy Webinar
Family Literacy Webinar
March 18, 2021

During National Reading Month and there is no better time to celebrate reading with our RIF community, share some at-home reading ideas and tips and end with a bedtime read-aloud, all from the comfort of your home!

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Literacy Expert Shares Reading Tips Webinar
Literacy Expert Shares At-Home Reading Tips
May 12, 2020

Reading Is Fundamental’s guest literacy expert, Erin Bailey, shares strategies and activities that families can use at home to support their child’s literacy development particularly during school closures resulting from COVID-19.

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At Home Reading Tips Webinar
At-Home Reading Tips Webinar – Suggested Activities
April 28, 2020

Guest literacy expert, Erin Bailey, shares four videos in her webinar for activities you can do at home with your child: Syllable Shake, Mystery Word, Wake up Letters/Sound and Multi-Sensory Activity for Sign Words.

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How to Raise a Reader Webinar
How to Raise a Reader
September 18, 2019

Learn tips on how to raise children who love reading with Pamela Paul and Maria Russo, editors of The New York Times Book Review.

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2019 BFO Matching Grant Webinar
2019 Books For Ownership Matching Grant Webinar
March 13, 2019

Interested in applying for RIF's 2019 Books for Ownership Matching Grant? Join us for this informational webinar to learn about the matching grant opportunity and specific parameters.

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Social Media 101 Webinar
Social Media 101 Webinar
November 7, 2018

Join Reading Is Fundamental for an informative and engaging webinar that will share with you best practices for social media use. We’ll also cover specific social media tactics to use in order to amplify your message, shine a spotlight on your impact and call on your supporters to make a gift as we enter the holiday season. Learn some simple rules and helpful tips to showcase your literacy work.

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5 plus 1 Pillars of Reading Instruction Webinar
5 Plus 1 Pillars of Reading Development
August 1, 2018

Join RIF for a webinar to deepen understanding of reading development. If you are a new teacher, family member of a school-aged child, or RIF volunteer, then this is a great webinar to build a foundational understanding of reading development. Participants will learn about the five pillars of reading development identified by the National Reading Panel (2000) which are phonemic awareness, phonics, fluency, vocabulary, and comprehension.