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…

This paper describes a family literacy project that involved parents whose children were attending a pre-school centre in a low socio-economic suburb of Perth, Western Australia. A formative experimental design was used to examine the home literacy practices of the families as described by the parents, and to construct a series of workshops. The…

In view of the literacy skills needed to participate effectively in an increasing complex society, this report discusses the importance of reading and reading development in families, and the effort that Head Start puts into promoting family literacy. The report claims that parents' literacy level can have a strong influence on parent child…

This report examines critical issues that rural educators face in establishing preschool programs. Even Start is a federal program designed to meet the educational needs of preschool children who have under-educated parents. In addition to participating in their child's education, the program requires parents to enroll in educational or vocational…

This manual was developed to help facilitators explain, implement, or expand a family literacy program. It is based on research and on the experience of developing and implementing the model program established by Literacy Volunteers of America-Chippewa Valley in Eau Claire, Wisconsin. The program encompassed the four basic components of family…

Recognizing that a quality preschool program is key to children's high achievement, this videotape presents a U.S. Department of Education teleconference on creating high quality preschool programs and federal funding available for such programs. Panelists from the Department include the director of the Early Childhood Institute in the Office of…

This handbook is designed to assist in duplicating Project LIVE (Literacy Implements a Vibrant Existence), a family literacy project. Its purpose is to share some ideas and methods of teaching family literacy. It begins with a description of a typical day at the project. Recruitment, interviewing and testing, evaluations, and graduation are…

An intergenerational literacy project involving economically disadvantaged parents, their preschool children, and preservice teachers was conducted at Eastern Montana College. Parents enrolled in the Head Start and Even Start programs attended sessions at which they were trained to be literacy tutors at training meetings and/or combination…

Project PALS (Parenting and Literacy Skills) was designed as a model of holistic comprehensive family literacy for those families connected with a Head Start program. Forty-three of an anticipated 75 families were served. Adult students who were referred by Head Start personnel participated in classes in English as a Second Language, Adult Basic…

In an effort to recruit more adults in the 18-25 age group, the Greenville Literacy Council of Greenville, Pennsylvania, developed the Keys for Kids program, which was designed to teach young parents to foster emergent literacy skills in their preschoolers and thereby improve their own literacy skills. An 8-week training program was developed to…

This paper discusses: (1) the importance of building a comprehensive web of support for families in family literacy programs (such as Even Start) that communicate consistent values and messages essential for educational success; and (2) how integration of program components can be developed and strengthened. The paper is organized around four…

A project proposed to demonstrate an effective delivery system for providing family literacy services to homeless parents of young children by taking the "Read Me a Story" program directly into bridge housing sites where the families resided. The approach offered was the direct parent/indirect child model. The curriculum came from…

The Learning with East Aurora Families (LEAF) Project was a 1-year family literacy program developed and implemented by Waubonsee Community College in Sugar Grove, Illinois. It recruited 51 parents and other significant adults of 4- and 5-year-olds enrolled in at-risk programs. Each of the 4-week sessions were divided into 5 components: adult…

This publication incorporates information for developing the Learning with East Aurora Families (LEAF) family literacy program model as well as specific activity ideas for program components. It is divided into eight parts which include: (1) staff job descriptions; (2) early childhood curriculum; (3) adult basic education curriculum; (4) English…

Issues surrounding teaching competencies in family literacy programs were examined in a study of two well-established Even Start sites in Lancaster County, Pennsylvania. The program, which served 34 ethnically diverse adult learners, offered 25 hours of adult basic education, general educational development (GED), and…