Teenage pregnancy is an issue receiving a growing amount of attention in the United States, with approximately one million children born to teenage mothers annually. Teen mothers tend to function less effectively in numerous realms than their peers who delay child-rearing, and the children of teen mothers are at greater risk of school failure. In…

When adults share picture books with young children, they build their lifelong literacy and enjoyment of reading. In beautiful full color, the new edition of this popular book will help recognize quality in children's literature and illustration and see how to use picture books to best advantage. Following an introduction, this book is organized…

This guide provides a framework and suggestions for strengthening the quality and impact of parenting education services in Even Start. It is aimed at Even Start state coordinators and local program administrators responsible for supporting and monitoring the quality of parenting education services in Even Start, and at local program staff…

Early reading experiences in the home prepare children for formal literacy instruction when they enter school. Most practitioners and researchers support the need for educational initiatives for increasing parents' involvement in early literacy. However, there is less of a consensus about how to develop family literacy models for Latino families.…

Compares children's scores on a reading and language inventory to parents' responses to questions about the home literacy environment. Finds that some parents provided a positive literacy environment for their children. Notes that children with higher scores are more likely to have parents who provided their children with a rich literacy…

This study assessed the emergent literacy skills of 48 4-year-old migrant Mexican American preschoolers in their dominant language and evaluated the amount of literacy exposure in the home and the Head Start program. Results suggested that although both environments influence emergent literacy skills, the home literacy environment has the greatest…

Research indicates that both home literacy activities and direct instruction of reading skills promote reading development. The current study investigates how parent-led direct teaching activities impact emergent literacy. Preschool children (n = 47) were administered subtests from the Test of Early Reading Ability-3 and the Kaufman Survey of…

Goal: Educators believe that parents can help their children learn to read. But what evidence supports this belief? And if parent involvement does matter, what kinds of parent involvement are most efficient? The goal of this report was to review the scientific literature on parent involvement in the acquisition of reading from kindergarten to…

The authors explore the interdependent relationships between learning English(es) and learning digital literacies in global contexts, and, collaborating with two women, Lu Liu and Yi-Huey Guo, who have moved and continue to move between the United States and Asia, highlight the crucial role that the practice of guanxi has played in advancing…

Involving parents in young children's literacy development is a challenge being met by many school districts. Several programs and strategies are being used at various levels to enhance literacy development and to address literacy needs of parents. Suggestions for preschool children include playing classical music, participating in meaningful…

Asserts that children's literacy development depends on the literacy environment at home. Provides suggestions for creating an environment which encourages literacy development. Notes that teachers should share these suggestions with parents. (MM)

This paper describes a family literacy project that involved parents whose children were attending a pre-school centre in a low socio-economic suburb of Perth, Western Australia. A formative experimental design was used to examine the home literacy practices of the families as described by the parents, and to construct a series of workshops. The…

The most important thing that parents can do to help their children become ready to read and to learn is to read aloud to them. This brief provides guidance for parents in facilitating their child's emerging abilities. Suggestions for parents include talking with infants and young children before they learn to read, setting aside a reading time…

A recent analysis of Even Start, the federal family literacy program, has concluded that the relative emphasis in many local programs has shifted too far toward background issues of family functioning and too far away from focused efforts to enhance literacy skills (Haslam, 1998). In keeping with this analysis, the time seems to be right for a…

Examined the home literacy experiences of 15 families who participated in a parent program which used a workshop approach to help parents develop skills and understandings needed to create a supportive literacy environment in their home. Analyzed results and outlined activities according to the pattern of use of nonliteracy, literacy, library, and…