Describes how the linguistic and cultural connections in a family storytelling event link literacy practices in Mexican American homes with those found in school. Presents six recommendations when working with culturally and linguistically diverse parents. (SG)

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.…

Different research on literacy demonstrates that the family has an important impact on literacy in general and it seems that there may be an inter-generational transfer of literacy level and reading habits within families. In order to compensate for lack of encouragement of reading at home, different initiatives have been developed involving work…

Two case studies of adult GED (General Education Diploma) students and their kindergarten-aged children are presented. The construct of "capital," as described by Pierre Bourdieu (1986), is applied specifically to the children's and adults' reading practices. These case studies are analyzed in terms of various forms of official…

Discusses the importance of family literacy. Highlights include daily reading at home before children go to school; the home/school connection; examples of successful programs implemented by school library media specialists; and ideas from the National Center for Family Literacy for starting family literacy programs, including community needs,…

Providing a much needed window into children's home lives and learnings, uncovering multiple literacies that need to be valued in their own right, this book shows how familial influences on children lead them to develop particular strengths and describes the features of home learning that teachers should understand and consider. The book tells the…

This manual introduces the topic of family literacy programs in libraries and provides guidelines for libraries that are just getting started in family literacy programs as well as libraries that are further developing their existing programs. It is argued that illiteracy tends to be both intergenerational and cyclic, i.e., if a child's parents…

Through a grant from the U.S. Department of Education, the staff and faculty of Colorado State University and the Poudre School District collaborated to implement an "Even Start" family literacy project to reduce the level of poverty and illiteracy for families in the Poudre Valley Mobile Home Park. To truly establish a partnership based…

Creating meaningful links between home and school is a particular concern of teachers and families. As classroom teachers, Betty Shockley and Barbara Michalove heard their students talk often about home literacy events. They wanted to find a way to learn what families valued and practiced, and they wanted to communicate to families how their…

Investigated the meaning to participating mothers of their involvement in a family literacy program in a low income, urban neighborhood. Interviews with mothers involved in the Family Reading Program indicated that mothers were concerned for their children's welfare, engaged in literacy practices, and utilized appropriate help from the school.…

This publication provides a sample of activities taking place in schools. It is intended to offer ideas and provide contact information, so that others working to expand and improve family and community involvement in schools can benefit from shared experience. School districts and schools have implemented additional practices and policies to…

Researchers observed and rated environments of 80 early childhood settings in Australia, interviewed staff, and conducted focus group discussions with family members regarding early childhood literacy. Case study findings indicated that in settings with strong levels of congruence between family and staff perspectives on early literacies, both…

Preschool findings are summarized from a longitudinal study examining how parents and teachers support language skill development in children from low-income families from preschool through high school. The study identified three dimensions of experiences during preschool/kindergarten related to later literacy success: exposure to varied…

Focuses on the impact of a family reading project on parents and library staff in an English borough and the partnerships it fostered between organizations involved in the initiative. Considers the project's impact on parents, public libraries and schools. Notes that one of the most important benefits of the partnership courses was pleasure…

A family literacy program was designed to bridge home and school literacy contexts by involving parents and children in developmentally appropriate and culturally sensitive literacy activities. The program's purpose was to enhance children's achievement and interest in reading and writing. The family program was a mirror image of a…