The purpose of this qualitative study was to gain a greater understanding of English language learner (ELL) family involvement in school environments through the lens of family literacy. This study was informed by literature from two fields: early childhood writing and ELL family involvement. While some schools have focused on at-home reading…

The purpose of this study was to examine Hispanic families' perspectives on using a prepared kit to enhance their preschoolers' vocabulary development at home. Families enrolled in a public prekindergarten program were provided with a bilingual (English/Spanish) home literacy kit that included ways in which to engage their children in activities…

The author describes the aptly-named "Better Beginnings" early childhood literacy project. Conducted by the State Library of Western Australia, sponsored by the WA State Government and Rio Tinto Limited, and closely monitored by Edith Cowan University, "Better Beginnings" has been successful from the outset, with proven…

The current study investigated the nature of Head Start children's home literacy environments and the associations between these resources and children's early-language and literacy skills. At the beginning of the preschool year, families of 302 children completed the Family Literacy Survey. In general, Head Start families reported providing a…

Using data from a survey on cognitive proficiency levels of first graders in Switzerland (N = 1.830), this study analyzes (1) who has access to institutional childcare, (2) whether institutional childcare affects cognitive skills of children who differ in terms of socioeconomic status, home literacy, native country, and home language, and (3) how…

Booksharing is often considered one of the most important activities parents can do to promote young children's early literacy skills. However, there is relatively little research on the style and nature of booksharing in Latino homes. This study examined the relation between maternal booksharing styles and low-income Latino children's subsequent…

The Military Child Education Coalition (MCEC[TM]) has recently released a new support for military families facing deployment, with the addition of another kit to its "Growing, Learning, and Understanding: Making Meaning through Early Literacy"[TM] (GLU[TM]) initiative. The GLU initiative focuses on developing early literacy skills in children…

The Office of Head Start/Region 11 serves nearly 23,000 American Indian/Alaska Native (AIAN) children in 26 States throughout the country: Alaska, Arizona, California, Colorado, Idaho, Kansas, Maine, Michigan, Minnesota, Mississippi, Montana, Nebraska, Nevada, New Mexico, New York, North Carolina, North Dakota, Oklahoma, Oregon, South Carolina,…

In America today, a tension exists between the continuing needs of an increasingly diverse population and the constantly dwindling resources available to serve them. This booklet looks at one type of program that provides an answer to the problem of addressing complicated human needs in a cost-effective way: family literacy. Through the stories of…

Training for family literacy began in 1993 with the development of the "Come Read with Me" model. Since that time over 300 facilitators have been trained, but a 1997 survey found only a fraction of these individuals were still active in family literacy programs. The Saskatchewan Literacy Network was faced with the challenge of delivering…

The Even Start Family Literacy Program is intended to help break the cycle of poverty and illiteracy by improving the educational opportunities available to low-income families with limited educational experiences. Based on state and national evaluations, this report for policy makers and practitioners summarizes what has been learned about the…

Whatever the source of funding for family literacy or the form it takes, this guide provides an overview of the funding process and provides suggestions for solving the fund-raising mysteries. It notes that the good news is that there are a wide variety of sources and aid available to family literacy programs, but the bad news is that it is a…

Focusing on advocacy (as distinct from lobbying) at the federal level of government, the purpose of this guide is to help develop and implement an action plan for family literacy advocacy. Its advice may be adapted to state and local elected officials as well as those in the non-political environment. Sections of the guide address advocating for…

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)

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)