The impact of the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) outbreak is being felt far and wide. Social distancing measures are in place, people are being encouraged to work from home, and school closures affecting almost 30 million students across the country are in effect. 

This unprecedented level of disruption to the K-12 school system forces many families into the unfamiliar territory of virtual learning. 

If you are a parent of a 10-15-year-old, Read to Lead can help you build your child’s literacy and leadership skills while having fun as the boss! The program combines virtual career exploration games supplemented by offline activities where they practice problem-solving, critical thinking and collaboration. 

With all of the responsibilities you are juggling during this time, we want to keep things simple. We created the Read to Lead Parent Hub so your child can get started right away. The hub provides easy access to all of our games and a collection of student-led activities.   

How to Use Read to Lead at Home

Step 1: Pick a workplace

Read to Lead offers three different industries where your child will become the boss of a virtual workplace. Each game is designed for a specific grade range. Community in Crisis, geared towards 5th-6th graders, is set in a local community center where children can learn about a  variety of jobs in the public sector from education to social work.

Vital Signs, intended for 6th-8th graders, takes place in a family health clinic and explores the medical field. After the Storm, designed for 7th-9th graders, immerses students in the fast-paced world of journalism. 

Children can have fun playing all three games but we recommend starting with the title designed for your child’s grade level. 

Step 2: Play the game

Each episode or “day at work” takes about 30 minutes to complete and children can play independently. The amount of reading in each episode is equivalent to one chapter of a middle school book. 

During this time, your child will improve their social and cross-cultural skills through interacting with a diverse array of staff and making some tough decisions as the boss. Each episode includes a typical workplace task like editing a project plan or crafting an email as a way for students to practice core reading and writing skills. 

Read to Lead is aligned to College and Career Readiness Anchor (CCRA) Standards and social-emotional competencies so you know your child is engaging with high-quality, research-backed content.  

Step 3: Reflect and discuss 

Once children have completed an episode, they can use the accompanying worksheets for post-game reflection. You have access to the answer keys so you can help your child at any point along the way or review their work.

Our discussion questions provide conversation starters around what it’s like being the boss and the different professions your child encountered in the game. This is an excellent opportunity to learn about your child’s aspirations as well as demonstrate the connection between school and the skills required in their future careers. 

Why not get started with Read to Lead today? For more information and to check out some of the episodes available for children, visit our website!