Family learning systems are dependent upon coalitions of institutions, organizations, community members, and families who engage in deep, comprehensive work bringing together a continuum of programs and resources-- spanning birth through adulthood--in family literacy, family engagement, and family leadership. These intentional efforts will create…

Family Literacy is an intergenerational program that brings parents and preschool- or elementary-age children to school together. It can provide a depth in education that allows learning opportunities for children and the adults in their lives. As relationships are built, learning becomes circular between parents, children, and teachers. This…

The Annie E. Casey Foundation's Family Economic Success-Early Childhood Education (FES-ECE) initiative, launched in October 2013, is rooted in the belief that families do better when programs can offer simultaneous support to children and parents. The report, designed to aid funders, is part of the Casey Foundation's ongoing commitment to sharing…

Early Learning Neighborhood Collaborative (ELNC) began as a year-long initiative to support early learning for very young children and families. The program has grown into a self-sustaining, nonprofit, place-based organization committed to improving the lives of children and families in the underresourced neighborhoods of Grand Rapids, MI.…

This practitioner's guide discusses what digital storytelling (DST) is and reasons for using it in family literacy (FL) programs. Examples of FL programs using DST effectively are provided, along with concrete steps for implementation. The guide concludes with important considerations for educators and a list of resources.

For more than a decade, the number of adults who cannot read has plateaued at around 32 million (HuffPost Books, 2014). According to the Campaign for Grade-Level Reading, 67% of children are not proficient readers by the end of third grade (Smith, 2015). Given the high stakes attached to acquiring multiple literacies in order to access basic…

Racial and ethnic diversity has increased dramatically over the past 35 years, enriching our public schools with students whose families embody a global village. Of the children born in the U.S. to at least one foreign-born parent, the majority are Hispanic. This is a pattern that reflects the recent rise of immigration from Latin America.…

The Cleveland Central Promise Neighborhood (CCPN) initiative brings together Central neighborhood residents, community stakeholders and partners to create the kind of community where every child can have career and college success. Helping children achieve a bright future filled with opportunity is the cornerstone of the Promise Initiative. The…

The Cleveland Central Promise Neighborhood (CCPN) initiative brings together Central neighborhood residents, community stakeholders and partners to create the kind of community where every child can have career and college success. Helping children achieve a bright future filled with opportunity is the cornerstone of the Promise Initiative. The…

Within a learning family, every member is a lifelong learner. A family literacy and learning approach is more likely to break the intergenerational cycle of low education and inadequate literacy skills, particularly among disadvantaged families and communities. The selection of case studies presented in this compilation show that for an…

This policy plan offers an approach to early childhood policies that get to the roots of racial equity. It describes how to promote social, economic, health, and educational equity by broadening the current early childhood public policy focus in Minnesota on early education and service programs to also include funding efforts that promote positive…

The twenty-first century family faces many demographic changes. Despite this, the importance of intergenerational relationships remains. This article initially reviews the literature surrounding the role that grandparents play in their children's families, highlighting a growing body of research demonstrating the important support role that…

The overall goal of the "2007 State of the Science Symposium on Aging with Developmental Disabilities: Charting Lifespan Trajectories and Supportive Environments for Healthy Community Living" (held in Atlanta, Georgia, U.S.A.) was to increase the understanding and definition of how to improve the health, psychosocial well-being, and community…

A British adult education center successfully offered foreign language instruction to children and adults together. Lessons learned from the experience include limiting attendance to 1 child per adult, targeting children aged 9-10, and extending the course to 20-25 weeks. (SK)

A Massachusetts camp for girls with diabetes offers advice on expanding programs to a year-round, intergenerational basis. Committed leadership is needed to implement the necessary needs assessment and program planning. Facilities must be winterized and funding efforts expanded. Build slowly, be patient, and use evaluations to guide program…