Data from four parent-teacher dyads highlighted the nature of discourse during parent-teacher conferences focused around family literacy portfolios. Participating Latino parents attended an intergenerational literacy program. Results show how parents and teachers share the floor during conferences and highlight the influence of portfolios on topic…

This paper examines a discussion among a teacher and four Latin-American women in a family literacy class who engage for the first time in the practice of peer-editing a learner's text. In the analysis, it becomes evident that they have different ideas of and responses to the text. Whereas the teacher's focus is on revising the textual elements,…

The mission of the Illinois Community College Board (ICCB), as the state coordinating board for community colleges, is to administer the Public Community College Act in a manner that maximizes the ability of the community colleges to serve their communities, promotes cooperation within the system, and accommodates those State of Illinois…

Learning to read is a complex process and a number of factors affect a child's success in beginning reading. This complexity increases when a child's home language differs from that of the school and when the child comes from a home with limited economic resources. This article discusses factors that have been shown to contribute to children's…

The Illinois Community College Board has developed this Provider Manual as an easy reference to: (1) existing laws and regulations, both State and Federal; (2) best practices in the field of Adult Education; and to (3) act as a desk reference for both new and existing program administrators. The Manual describes: (1) the purpose of the Federal…

The prevailing issues in the development of family literacy were reviewed, and assumptions about families, family support, and learning upon which the concept is being developed were examined. A total of 173 studies on the following topics were reviewed: parent-child relationships and reading, parent-child early reading, parent/family beliefs and…

The family's influence on children's learning accounts for 80 percent of variance in students' academic performance. The present study, framed by the concept of human development within ecological contexts as elaborated by Bronfenbrenner (1979), investigated literacy practices and views of parents with limited literacy skills who participated in a…

Capturing what has been learned over the past several years about the characteristics of effective Even Start Family Literacy programs, this book offers a guide for self-review by programs for the purpose of staff development and program improvement. The book also provides a focus for designing local program evaluations, serves as an outline of…

A study focused on types of talk between parents and children as predictors of development of skills such as narrating, explaining, and describing. The study investigated some measures of home language environment and their relationships with literacy outcomes. Eighty-four 3-year-old children from low income families in the Boston (Massachusetts)…

This manual is designed to help volunteer teachers in family literacy programs introduce a writing project that provides parents and children with a worthwhile learning experience to take home and share. The guide suggests ways to prepare parents and children for a collaborative story-writing experience and offers ideas on how to structure the…

This learning package on parents and children using the library is designed for implementation either in a workshop atmosphere or through individual study. The package includes an overview of the topic; a comprehensive search of the ERIC database; a lecture giving an overview on the topic; copies of articles and existing ERIC/Reading, English and…

Based on the idea that parents are the first and most important teachers of their children's literacy, this bilingual (Spanish/English) booklet offers 101 practical and fun-to-do activities that children and parents can do together. The activities in the booklet are organized to fit the way parents tend to think about their time with their…

This report focuses on 11 states' efforts to develop state-funded family literacy initiatives either through legislation or other actions. An introduction defines family literacy. Part I includes in-depth case studies on seven states that have either passed or attempted to pass state family literacy legislation. For each state (Kentucky,…

Family literacy programs are developed on the premise that the important relationships between children and adults affect literacy achievement and activity. The programs bring parents and children together in a teaching and learning environment. The critical teacher in a child's life is the parent. Family programs support and strengthen family…

A critical element in South Carolina's Early Childhood Development and Academic Assistance Act is the parenting and family literacy component that targets families of children aged birth to 5 years, with a special emphasis on serving parents and families of children at risk for school failure. This manual offers guidelines for developing parenting…