Abstracts of 46 projects funded by the U.S. Department of Education's Even Start program in 1990 are presented. Each project is from a different public school, public school district, board of education, or regional educational cooperative. Among the projects reported are the following: Home Instruction Program for Preschool Youngsters (HIPPY)…

This publication presents the family literacy program performance standards for which all Pennsylvania family literacy programs (both Pennsylvania Adult Basic and Family Literacy Education Act 143 and Even Start) will be held accountable. It begins with an implementation plan that discusses the legislative background of the performance standards…

Designed for administrators, educators, and people interested in children's learning, this book explores ways to reawaken parents' understanding of their role as their children's first teachers. The volume is divided into four major sections. Part 1, which provides a background and rationale for developing intergenerational programming in support…

During the 1994-95 program year, the staff of Even Start, a family literacy program in Lincoln (Nebraska), and an evaluator collaborated to create a low-stakes, small-scale portfolio assessment to collect information on program impact. The small scale of the evaluation offered opportunities to involve the staff in each step of the portfolio…

Literacy programs in the United States have taken either a preventive approach for children or a remediation approach for adults. A new approach, family literacy, involves both parents and children in literacy acquisition. The National Center for Family Literacy provides training and assistance to family literacy programs through a process called…

This manual is a resource book for organizers and leaders and parent groups who want to explore specific strategies to help children become better writers. The guide contains material necessary to conduct a 1- or 1.5-hour session on how parents can make writing more meaningful for children. The guide includes: (1) a leader's guide with…

Project PALS (Parenting and Literacy Skills) was designed as a model of holistic comprehensive family literacy for those families connected with a Head Start program. Forty-three of an anticipated 75 families were served. Adult students who were referred by Head Start personnel participated in classes in English as a Second Language, Adult Basic…

Examined how Chinese and American Indian mothers (20 mother-child dyads from each culture) supported their young children's emergent literacy development during everyday interactions. Found that Chinese mothers tended to privilege print-based literacy interactions more than American Indian mothers. American Indian mothers tended to privilege…

A project was conducted for the following purposes: (1) to determine reading methods and practices specific to the father's role in family literacy through research in the field of reading; (2) to develop a curriculum incorporating this research; (3) to implement this curriculum with two groups of educationally disadvantaged fathers; and (4) to…

This report describes a family literacy program for adult students with mild learning challenges including mental retardation. The program's objective was to upgrade the reading skills of parents and introduce them to a wide variety of enjoyable children's literature. During each of 20 weekly sessions, a class of no more than 15 parents was…

This paper discusses: (1) the importance of building a comprehensive web of support for families in family literacy programs (such as Even Start) that communicate consistent values and messages essential for educational success; and (2) how integration of program components can be developed and strengthened. The paper is organized around four…

This document contains a project report and a parenting resource book of materials for use in family and other adult basic and literacy education programs. The project report details how focus groups were conducted to determine the interests of adults in family literacy classes. Ten categories of interest were identified and materials were…

The Bethlehem Area Chamber of Commerce addressed family literacy through the promotion of a "Jump into Reading" videotape and its accompanying brochure in local businesses and schools as well as throughout Pennsylvania. Jump into Reading was designed to teach parents the importance of reading aloud to their children and offer techniques…

Intended to provide practical amd proven ideas to help children develop as literate persons, this book presents 24 essays on diverse topics to help teachers and parents realize the potential they have for improving children's literacy development. The ideas presented in the book are based on sound research, theory, and actual practice. After an…

A descriptive study examined the relationships between what young children learned about written language in the home and their parents' levels of literacy ability and their uses of print in their lives. Twenty-four children, aged 4-6, in 20 families of low socioeconomic status were observed during their waking hours in their homes and communities…