The 2003 National Assessment of Adult Literacy (NAAL) assessed the English literacy skills of a nationally representative sample of more than 19,000 U.S. adults (age 16 and older) residing in households and prisons. NAAL is the first national assessment of adult literacy since the 1992 National Adult Literacy Survey. Three types of literacy were…

Raising Early Achievement in Literacy is a British family literacy project in which educators recognize that adult learning is different; parents are experts on their own children and have views on literacy; and bilingual parents may have different needs. Listening to families is a key principle of the project. (SK)

Considers how educators can assist parents in supporting their children toward a positive educational experience through language arts. Describes a class for parents that offered a different approach to helping students meet the state standards. (SG)

Provides percentages of children ages 3 to 5 who were read to, told a story, or taken to the library by a parent or other family member. (Author/SLD)

Explores the bi-directional benefits of family literacy practices involving English as a Second Language (ESL) immigrant parents and their children. Discusses the literature on family literacy and culturally relevant texts. Shares and analyzes the case of a shared reading practice. Suggests that this informal family literacy practice could help to…

Describes a program where each family shares a story in its native language and the children then provide an English translation when the original was a language other than English. Concludes with the hope that through fostering relationships with students and their families, all can benefit from the merging of the school and home cultures. (SG)

Presents an overview of the Prime Time Family Reading Time program, a family literacy program that is based in public libraries and incorporates the presentation of children's literature with the discussion of humanities-based questions for low literacy, at-risk parents and their children aged six and older. (Author/LRW)

In this article, the author describes a transformation in his perspective which was brought about by a humble familial gesture that evolved into a powerful literacy event--one that caused him to reconsider his beliefs about memory and its role in shaping how each person makes sense of his or her life. As the author reflects on what happened, it…

This issue of "Focus On" provides an overview of several key early literacy components: phonemic awareness, alphabet knowledge, concepts of print, oral language development, writing, family literacy, and reading aloud. Suggestions for assessing early literacy development are provided, and examples of implementation of effective early literacy…

The purpose of this publication is to present Iowa's adult literacy program approved projected benchmark percentage levels for Program Year 2006 (July 1, 2005-June 30, 2006). The passage of the Workforce Investment Act of 1998 (WIA) [Public Law 105-220] by the 105th Congress has ushered in a new era of collaboration, coordinator, cooperation and…

There is a growing ideological divide in the field of family literacy between programs that are striving to colonize families with middle-class European-American literacy practices, and those based on Freire's philosophy which works toward affirming diverse family literacy practices. The Freirean alternative includes "culture circles" for the…

This article presents the results of two ethnographic studies that explored the language and literacy practices present in the everyday lives of seven Dominican families living in the New York City metropolitan area. The families engaged in literacy practices that were embedded in their daily lives and often depended on the practical problems that…

This update reports on the activities of the Office of Vocational and Adult Education (OVAE), which includes the implementation of the new Perkins Vocational Education Act passed by the 109th Congress and signed by President Bush on August 12, 2006. There is also significant activity in preparation for the scheduled reauthorization of the Adult…

In this article, the author examines her racial identity and its impact on her interpretation of the schooling experiences of a 10th grade Latina in an ethnographic case study. Prior to this study, the author had been working in a university-based family literacy program where she met Zulmy's mother, Manuela. Due to her experience as a middle…

The "Fiscal Year 2008 Illinois Community College System's Performance Report" contains summary information about state and common institutional outcome indicators. External comparative benchmarks are cited whenever possible using the latest available data--national reporting typically trails what is available at the state level.…