In all, 15 Latina mothers participated in a 10-week bilingual family reading project implemented at a public elementary school in rural Texas. Convivencia and pláticas were critical components for the implementation of the family reading project. Thus, the research question guiding the present article is as follows: How can pláticas with Latina…

It is hypothesized that variability found in the effects of family literacy programs results from differences in implementation by parents. In this study, the implementation and effects of a Dutch program were examined in a sample of 207 kindergarteners (mean age at pre-test: 64 months). No main intervention effects on children's literacy…

Raising the literacy levels of young children is a major concern in many countries for which various programmes have been suggested. One of these is family literacy programmes. In previous meta-analyses wide variability in effects has been found and it has been suggested that this is partly caused by variability in implementation quality. This…

Family-focused early learning programs aim to assist parents in supporting their young children language and literacy development. This study examined program access and learning opportunities for diverse families across a wide range of community-based settings in one eastern Canadian province. As well, the study examined practitioners'…

After receiving a multiyear federal grant, an urban school district and community agency that focused on family literacy implemented a comprehensive school reform initiative called Providence Full Service Community Schools (PFSCS). A host of community partners collaborated to develop the PFSCS model with the broad goal of strategically connecting…

Urbanization is causing a major shift in Extension's programming throughout the United States. We present results of a nontraditional urban program (the Parent-Child Reading Enhancement Program) that is being implemented by Alabama Cooperative Extension System's Urban Affairs and New Nontraditional Programs unit. Findings suggest that this…

This paper investigates the implementation and outcomes of "Growing Better Beginnings": a family literacy program for four and five year olds. The program builds on "Better Beginnings: Birth to Three" launched in 2005. Parents, teachers and librarians were surveyed and interviewed to ascertain their perceptions of the program.…

Family literacy studies have shown that the role of parental storybook reading has an impact on children's success in school-based literacy instruction. However, many children who are English language learners come from homes or cultures where storybook readings are not common practice. The purpose of this qualitative research study explored…

Literacy interventions in the family context have great potential to promote reading development in children. However, the results of meta-analyses indicate that family-based approaches tend not to be as effective as expected. Although the effectiveness of family literacy interventions can be assumed to hinge largely on the quality of their…

Background/Context: As accountability pressures have mounted toward ever-higher targets under the No Child Left Behind (NCLB) Act, low-achieving schools have sought new tools for raising achievement. The association between parent involvement and student achievement is well established, though the association is an indirect relationship mediated…

Presents case studies of two family literacy programs in Michigan, showing how they adapt their programs to their participants' special needs. Discusses four critical and comprehensive factors revealed in the study (participation, curriculum, staff and administration, and fundraising) that need to be considered when designing effective family…

A study produced a profile of family literacy in Colorado to provide information on current services and baseline data for evaluating future development. Surveys were sent to 84 adult basic education (ABE) programs, 5 EvenStart programs (a national family-focused program), and 2 programs that were both ABE and EvenStart. Surveys were completed by…

A study examined the broad range of family literacy programs across Michigan to document how goals, instructional practice, assessment methods, staff training, and social support for participants varied. Three established models of family literacy were identified and described: the Kenan Model, Parents as Partners in Reading (PPR), and HIPPY (Home…

The FLITE (Family Literacy Involvement Through Education) program is a partnership between a public school in the Bronx, New York, and the City University of New York that brings together two federal funding streams (FAMILY FIRST: Family-School Partnership Program and Even Start) to provide adult literacy, parenting education, and early childhood…

Through a participatory approach to adult basic education, a project was conducted to break the debilitating cycle of illiteracy that passes from low-income parents to their children. The approach included a family literacy book club designed to encourage parents and children to read together and to improve parents' literacy skills, interests, and…