FARMINGTON – Dr. Phyllis Fischer and the Farmington Children’s School will sponsor a series of five workshops, “Helping Your Child to Read and Spell: Parent Strategies for Helping Children Become Successful Readers,” at the school.

Fischer is a school board member and a professor of special education at the University of Maine at Farmington. She has been teaching parents reading instruction strategies for more than 20 years.

Fischer will show parents activities they can do with their beginning readers to help them master reading and spelling skills. Many of the activities are things parents can do when going places or doing things around the house.

The activities and information in the sessions are appropriate for children in kindergarten and first grade, or for children in second grade who are struggling with reading and spelling.

The five sessions will cover oral language activities critical for reading and spelling; saying and writing the sounds for letters; the importance of handwriting; reading and spelling words; and reading and writing sentences.

The first three workshops are scheduled for Feb. 15, March 1 and 15 from 6 to 7:30 p.m. at the school. Workshops will cost $10 a session. All proceeds will go to other Learn to Read programs at the school.

The school is a nonprofit, Montessori-inspired school with a mission to provide joyful learning to students in grades kindergarten to eight and offer educationally enriching programs to the local community. The school is located in the new annex to the Old South Church on Main Street.

For more information, call 491-6282 or 645-9773.