The concept of family literacy is firmly rooted in a substantial research base from several disciplines, including adult literacy, emergent literacy, child development, and systems analysis. Results from a review of research from each discipline found answers to questions about benefits of family literacy. Results show family literacy programs do work and at least four groups benefit: children, parents, families, and the larger society. Children's achievement in school improves; they attend school more regularly and are more likely to complete their education; and their general knowledge, reading achievement and vocabulary, comprehension, writing, math and science achievement, social skills, self-esteem, and attitudes toward school improve. Parents persist in the programs longer than in other adult literacy programs; their attitudes about education improve; their reading achievement, writing ability, math and science knowledge, knowledge about parenting and child development, social awareness, and self-advocacy increases. Families learn to value education, become more involved in schools, become emotionally closer, read more, and build foundations for lifelong learning. The programs positively affect these social problems: nutrition and health, low school achievement and high school dropout rates, teen parenting, joblessness and welfare dependency, social alienation, and home and community violence. (Contains 93 references.) (YLB)