Superintendent Dr. Alan Cron
34 MacKinlay Way,
Rockland, MA 02370
For Immediate Release
Thursday, Jan. 31, 2019
Contact: John Guilfoil
Phone: 617-993-0003
Email: john@jgpr.net
Rockland Family Night Promotes Word Games to Support Early Readers
ROCKLAND — Principal Janice Sheehan is pleased to announce that students and their families enjoyed a game night earlier this month that promoted literacy and reading fluency.
Game night is part of Memorial Park’s monthly Parent Academy sessions, which provide parents with resources and support to promote good reading habits at home. The family night events began in October 2018, and students and their families from all grades at the school are encouraged to attend.
On Thursday, Jan. 24, children and their families played a variety of word games including Scrabble, Boggle, and Bananagrams from 6:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. in the Memorial Park Elementary cafeteria. In all, 38 families attended the family game night event.
The “word game” themed event encouraged families to play games at home that will support student literacy and reading fluency.
“Incorporating word games is a great way to connect and make learning fun,” said Kelsey Holbrook, a Title I and ELA teacher that organizes monthly Parent Academy sessions. “The brain learns best when it is interested and present with new experiences. Games provide a hands-on multi sensory experience to encourage language, turn taking, and following directions.”
“The biggest message is having fun with your family,” she added.
Each family left the event with a free word game to play at home, thanks to funds from a grant awarded to the Parent Academy program by the Rockland Education Foundation. The majority of the $1,731 grant funded a parent lending library with resources for parents and guardians to borrow to support reading after school. Funds from the grant will also support future Parent Academy sessions.
“It is exciting to see so many family taking the time to join us for a fun family game night,” Sheehan said. “Playing games helps students build oral language skills, learn to take turns and accept the fact that everyone cannot be the winner of the game.”
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