This report highlights the critical role family literacy and learning play in breaking down barriers between different learning contexts and engaging hard-to-reach adults and children in education. This report was developed as part of a family learning project initiated by the UNESCO Institute for Lifelong Learning (UIL) in 2016. Based on the…

Because family literacy programs are new, the definition of such programs and program models are still evolving. Broadly speaking, two criteria differentiate family literacy programs from other literacy programs: (1) the program is conceptualized around the concerns of the family as a unit; and (2) there is, at minimum, an implied educational…

Designed to increase awareness of family literacy programs, this project report deals with definitions of literacy, the research base, typology of family and intergenerational literacy programs, and evaluation of these programs. The report is designed to be a resource for teachers/practitioners and administrators/funders of family literacy…

More than 500 intergenerational literacy programs exist in the United States, yet the idea is untested and it is difficult to identify and classify these programs. A typology identifies and classifies programs by key components and provides examples of each type. A typology, useful to practitioners, helps in planning programs, discussing them, and…

Among the reasons for growth in family literacy programs are the expansion of knowledge about how children learn, the need to involve parents and families more directly in programs for young children, and evidence supporting the relationship between parental education levels and children's school success. Intergenerational literacy programs are…

Seven model family literacy programs in Illinois were monitored for one year to determine successful program components and characteristics and to assist local programs in developing and implementing practical evaluation systems. Six were networking programs each of which involved several agencies, and one program was designed on a center-based…

Teachers' and developers' descriptions of intergenerational literacy programs for immigrants are collected here. Topics addressed include appropriate program design, the quality of intergenerational collaboration, student journals, learner-centered curriculum design, traditional and personal storytelling as a literacy approach, education and…

The Kenan Trust Family Literacy Project was implemented during the 1988-89 school year at three model sites in Louisville, Kentucky, and four in North Carolina. The model was designed to teach undereducated parents together with their 3- or 4-year-old children. Children participated in a comprehensive preschool program while adults studied in…

The first phase of Book Bridges, an English-as-a-Second Language literacy project for immigrant women and their children, was evaluated. Fifteen clients completed the first 10-week, 60-hour program designed to increase English vocabularies, give clients opportunities to express ideas in English, and provide a framework for facilitating…

A demonstration project was conducted in three diverse, multiethnic Western Pennsylvania communities to use older adult tutors to improve Head Start parents' literacy skills so that these parents could aid and encourage the development of their own children's literacy. During the project, the partnerships in two Pennsylvania counties developed and…

This guide was developed during a demonstration project conducted in three diverse, multiethnic Western Pennsylvania communities to use older adult tutors as mentors to improve Head Start parents' literacy skills and ability to develop their children's literacy. The guide is intended to facilitate tutors' learning about family literacy and to give…

Family literacy has developed over the past decade into an increasingly significant--and often contested--area of research, practice, and policymaking in the fields of literacy and family studies as well as in the broader arenas of education and schooling. The purpose of this chapter is to give the reader a better understanding of the general…

This manual is designed to provide information to those interested in developing family literacy projects. Part I contains information on the design and operations of Project Family, a program to empower parents to be better role models, foster supportive environments, and express positive attitudes about education. Other topics include…

The report presents an evaluation of the Ysleta Independent School District (Texas) state-funded Even Start Project, a comprehensive family literacy program consisting of adult education (basic skills, English as a second language, citizenship, transition to college), intergenerational literacy classes with preschool children, early childhood…

The Toyota Families in Schools (TFS) Program is a new family literacy initiative that was developed by the National Center for Family Literacy (NCFL) with support from the Toyota Motor Corporation. TFS is based on a previous NCFL model calling for providing literacy activities to preschoolers and parents from low-income families. NCFL wanted to…