This manual was developed for use in a 17-session family literacy program for incarcerated fathers and their children. The activities in the first eight sessions, which are designed to be completed before the children's first visit, are based on a mix of children's literature and reading materials dealing with child development and parenting. In…

Family literacy programs reflect a recent trend in educational reform that has proven to be a successful educational model for all members of the family unit. Based on the literature that links family involvement to student achievement, these initiatives focus on empowering parents of school children. These programs have been particularly…

This paper describes a field-based effort in which practicing teachers collaborated with a university researcher to develop, inaugurate, and maintain a family literacy program. In this context, family literacy is an intergenerational program serving all members of the family, meeting the needs of adult family members as individuals, not just as…

The six articles in this issue attempt to answer questions that have arisen due to the increase in programs that cross existing or traditional age barriers in literacy education. They draw upon recent and current research and practice both in the United Kingdom and the United States. "Family Literacy: An Intergenerational Approach to…

The report presents an evaluation of the Ysleta Independent School District (Texas) state-funded Even Start Project, a comprehensive family literacy program consisting of adult education (basic skills, English as a second language, citizenship, transition to college), intergenerational literacy classes with preschool children, early childhood…

This document relays the stories of nearly 100 Tennessee adults whose lives were changed through participation in some form of adult basic education (ABE). The document begins with a brief explanation of how Tennessee's 102 ABE programs are administered and definitions of the following forms of ABE: Families First (a 20-hour weekly course of basic…

The Cleveland Public Schools developed a family literacy program to address the needs of both parent and child and attempt to break the cycle of illiteracy. Fifty parents who were Job Training Partnership Act (JTPA)-eligible participated in the project. They attended one of four 9-week sessions. Course content included literacy, preemployment and…

A panel of experts from a variety of disciplines was convened to advise policymakers about what is known about instructional effectiveness in adult and family literacy situations. The panel concluded that, although little research examining instructional effectiveness in family and adult literacy programs is available, a great deal of "best…

The National Center for Family Literacy (FCFL) began the Family Independence Initiative (FII) to address the needs of welfare recipients and their families for literacy services. During the FII's development phase in 1997-1998, NCFL funded five family literacy program grantees to develop models of work-focused family literacy services. To satisfy…

This paper examines early childhood development, family, health, and literacy. It places particular emphasis on the need to consider the interrelationships of these factors when attempting to use literacy to improve the quality of life of individuals in developing countries. The paper begins with a discussion of learning capacity and a conceptual…

Family and intergenerational literacy programs provide an opportunity to combine the agendas of adult basic skills improvement and literacy development in children. This overview of practice in family and intergenerational literacy programs identifies trends, issues, and concerns and offers recommendations. The first chapter presents background…

The Toyota Families in Schools (TFS) Program is a new family literacy initiative that was developed by the National Center for Family Literacy (NCFL) with support from the Toyota Motor Corporation. TFS is based on a previous NCFL model calling for providing literacy activities to preschoolers and parents from low-income families. NCFL wanted to…

The benefits of family literacy programs for children were examined in a 1997 follow-up study in which 154 parents and 237 children who had participated in a family literacy demonstration program in 1994-1995 were interviewed along with the teachers of a subsample of the children and the demonstration program coordinators. The demonstration…

These eight bulletins, which are intended for literacy instructors, tutors, librarians, and others, contain reviews of literacy materials designed for use in adult literacy, adult basic education (ABE), and family literacy programs. Each review contains some or all of the following: title, author, publisher of the item being reviewed; information…

In September 1995, the Scranton Area Family Center in Scranton, Pennsylvania, initiated a twice-weekly literacy class designed to build low-income parents' educational skills and personal confidence while simultaneously encouraging family literacy activities. Eight parents of children in the Scranton School District attended the class and received…