Our family literacy team found that an effective way to connect program activity with assessment was the use of a WRAP (Writing, Reading, and Parents) kit in home based library and after school programs for kindergarten and grade one children.

Once our programs determined through evaluation discussions that they needed more direct involvement of parents in reading activities already established through after school tutoring or home visits with bookbags for children to use, a take-home kit idea seemed well suited to making new reading materials accessible for home use to encouraging parent interaction with their young children.

The introduction of kits into homes significantly changed the nature of communication between participating parents and practitioners. Parents became more involved in reading and playing with their children and children were quite willing to try the activities. Parents engaged in more interaction with practitioners, discussing observations of their shared reading experiences and their children's reactions.

While the kits provided structured opportunities for book related literacy interactions at home, parents also took an authoritative, active role in their children's activity, based on their confidence in the knowledge they had about their children and interest in their children's learning. It appeared that the kits changed the way the parent related to the practitioner, enabling parents to call on their natural expertise about their children. Parent input was increasingly recognized and incorporated in routine literacy activities, as parents made suggestions and asked questions about their their children's learning.

In constructing the kits, it became a simple matter to include a feedback sheet for parents, to provide additional opportunities for dialogue with practitioners and to keep track of how families used the kits. When parents understood that their opinion about the kits was valued, they were able share insights about their children's progress and literacy needs.