This book is part of a series that helps parents choose books for their children and talk with them about books in ways that actively engage children with the meaning on the printed page. The introduction, "Getting Started," notes that it is important for parents to continue sharing books with their children at this age. The first chapter,…

Citation: Ricciuti, A.E., R.G. St.Pierre, W. Lee, A. Parsad & T. Rimdzius. Third National Even Start Evaluation: Follow-Up Findings From the Experimental Design Study. U.S. Department of Education, Institute of Education Sciences, National Center for Education Evaluation and Regional Assistance. Washington, D.C., 2004. Background: The Even…

Presents suggestions for collaboration between librarians and day care providers, such as resource sharing, adult literacy referrals, publications, and scheduled communication to help families engage in literacy activities. Lists 25 ideas for family literacy-building, such as family bookmaking, art projects, and family book bingo. (JKP)

Draws on a study of the literate lives of two African Americans living in urban poverty. Suggests that the nonalignment between home and school discourse communities is not the only, or even perhaps primary, problem for the subjects. Suggests that explanations must account for the complexity of literate subjectivities through the process by which…

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)

Examined the relationship between home literacy environment and child language ability for 323 4-year olds attending Head Start and their mothers or primary caregivers. Statistical analysis indicated that from 12-18.5% of the variance in child language scores was accounted for by the home literacy environment. (MDM)

Presents a case study of the "Coleman family" to examine support for literacy within an economically disadvantaged family, in which the child learned to value literacy and learned how to read very well despite the limited literacy abilities of the mother. Discusses ways teachers might help parents to support literacy growth at home and at school.…

Describes a workshop for parents of children enrolled in a four-week summer reading program for struggling readers. Discusses parents' views about literacy, their questions about a singular instructional focus, and their situation in the larger literacy community. Notes that radical change did not occur during the program. Argues that parents need…

Describes the Family Literacy Bags program, objectives of which include engaging parents and children in reading and emphasizing parent education by providing instruction on effective ways to support literacy development. Offers recommendations for program implementation and improvement. Notes that the program has been a success and has continued…

A Tucson, Arizona elementary school is one of 45 development sites for the Toyota Families in Schools Program, which brings in parents to learn alongside their children and in their own classrooms for 4 hours daily. Parents also receive vocational instruction aligned with local job opportunities. (MLH)

Reviews recent literature on family literacy programs and examines the assumptions made by many programs in light of cultural and educational implications. Explores research methodology and interpretation in family literacy and describes some promising practices for public schools that can affect such programs positively. (SLD)

Examines early educational interventions aimed at preventing school failure. Presents typology of prevention and intervention. Describes four examples of preventive intervention and critiques their effectiveness, acceptability, and generalization: High Scope, Reading Recovery, Focused Literacy Programme, and parent involvement programs to support…

Describes an "educational evening out," an idea materialized when parents expressed interest in reading during their first-quarter conferences with teachers. Notes that the parents showed so much interest in learning how to read with their children at home that the teachers made plans to have a literacy night in their first-grade classroom. (SG)

Explains the role shift from an elementary school library into a public library after school hours are over. Topics include family literacy; role setting; circulation; facilities; security; patrons, including teachers and the general public; maintenance; bibliographic record quality; and public relations. (LRW)

A feminist analysis of the Adult Education and Family Literacy Act shows that its emphasis on women's role as mothers impedes their literacy development. Adult education policies should be reexamined because of the competing interests of women's development for parenting (family literacy) and for work (welfare reform). (Contains 20 references.)…