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From Home to Classroom: Using Home Language to Strengthen Literacy Instruction
Wednesday, March 4, 2026 @ 1:00 pm - 2:00 pm EST
Presented by Allison Bucklew, Former Teacher, Current Program Design Director, UnboundEd; and Dr. Brandi Johnson Kent, Early and Adolescent Literacy Instruction Expert & Consultant, UnboundEd
Moderated by Clay Willis, Vice President of Marketing and Communications, UnboundEd
Sponsored by UnboundEd
Learn more about earning a CE certificate and our accessibility features.
Students develop complex language systems long before they enter school. Research in sociolinguistics and the science of reading shows that literacy instruction strengthens word recognition and language comprehension when it builds on home language instead of ignoring or replacing it. These intentional home-to-classroom connections foster the linguistic flexibility students need to navigate academic texts in a variety of contexts.
This edWebinar explores one powerful, research-backed strategy for strengthening literacy outcomes: building authentic literacy partnerships with families. In these authentic partnerships, teachers can intentionally create connections between home dialects and classroom instruction.
Rather than positioning families as helpers or volunteers, this session reframes families as linguistic experts whose knowledge can inform and strengthen reading and writing development. Participants examine how structured partnerships between home and school can support metalinguistic awareness, dialect shifting, and academic language development.
In this session, you explore:
- What research in linguistic flexibility and the science of reading reveals about literacy success
- How to intentionally connect classroom literacy instruction to the linguistic assets students already develop at home
- A replicable strategy for connecting family language knowledge directly to reading and writing instruction
- Examples of how this strategy builds metalinguistic awareness and dialect-shifting
- What it takes to shift from correction-based approaches to bridge-building instruction
Participants leave with a clear strategy for moving language from home to the classroom so students expand their language repertoire without losing their voice.
This session is for leaders who want to build an asset-based literacy strategy that includes explicit instruction in linguistic flexibility. It is grounded in research and the science of reading, and it previews a strategy that connects home language and classroom instruction.
About the Presenters
Allison Bucklew has 15 years of experience in math education and instructional leadership. She has taught at the elementary, middle, and high school levels, and served in various instructional leadership roles, most recently as the Director of Data and Assessment at Crossroads Charter Schools in Kansas City, Missouri. As Program Design Director at UnboundEd, Allison develops instructional experiences and materials for the UPP suite of programs and supports facilitators through intentional preparation and coaching.
Dr. Brandi Johnson Kent has served as a classroom teacher and instructional coach at the primary level, as well as a program director in higher education, where she managed teacher preparation programs and school partnerships. As an educational consultant, she supports school leaders through data-driven, strategic feedback aligned to district literacy goals and provides teachers with targeted, literacy-focused professional development and coaching. As an adjunct professor at the USC Rossier School of Education, she designs and facilitates graduate-level coursework in curriculum design and pedagogy, emphasizing culturally responsive teaching, Universal Design for Learning (UDL), and reflective practice.
About the Moderator
Clay Willis is a mission- and results-driven marketing and communications leader committed to making education work for every single learner. As UnboundEd’s Vice President of Marketing and Communications, Clay advances the organization’s reach and impact by forging meaningful connections with visionary educators.
Learn more about earning a CE certificate and our accessibility features.
Join the Helping ELL, ESL, and Bilingual Students Succeed community to network with educators, participate in online discussions, receive invitations to upcoming edWebinars, and view recordings of previous programs to earn CE certificates.
UnboundEd empowers educators to meet the needs of every single student through grade-level, engaging, affirming, and meaningful—GLEAM®—instruction. We work side-by-side with teachers, coaches, principals, and district leaders to ensure the success of your instructional vision for exceptional education and improved outcomes. By cultivating the mindsets, knowledge, and skills at the heart of truly transformative teaching and learning, we can break the predictability of historic achievement patterns so all kids thrive.
