"Connect" is an approach to family literacy in Scotland that recognizes that people have different literacies used in different life domains. It values home and community literacies and challenges the deficit perspective and dominant cultural and ideological patterns. (SK)

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…

Describes how the Newall Green Infant School in Manchester, England includes parents in their children's learning. Explains how a welcoming school policy contributed to student achievement and behavior. (JOW)

Approaches literacy work from feminist and community development perspectives, believing that the ability to utilize print and other forms of literacy is integral to increasing women's access to and inclusion in the language, work and power of institutions that inscribe their roles in families and communities. Suggests paying close attention to…

Reflects upon the development, implementation and research of specific intergenerational family literacy initiatives in the Anglophone section of New Brunswick. Presents four initiatives and discusses working with the community, working in the neighborhood, and working within a university context. (SG)

Reports on ethnographic research that explores the range of ways in which Spanish-English bilingual immigrant youth interpret English language texts for their families. Focuses on interpretations of written text for close family members, done at home, and charts the domains of these multiple literacies. Argues that bilingual youth's experiences as…

A family literacy program used television soap operas as a starting point for investigating home and community literacy practices. Parents participated as co-researchers, comparing media portrayals of literacy events with their own everyday practices. (SK)

The push for the English-only literacy approach sends the wrong message to language-minority families. The Arlington (Virginia) Public Schools have established first-language pilot programs to accelerate Latino students' academic achievement and have welcomed community-based educational initiatives. A family-literacy program motivates parents to…

Case studies of four Scottish schools with family literacy programs depicted collaboration among school staff, parents, and adult literacy educators. Programs that conceptualized parents as "people" rather than "problems" challenged the deficit perspective of family literacy and enabled parents' full participation in…

Notes that the purpose of the project was to collect evidence about learning in the "life school" of families. Describes the second session in which people brought in artifacts to tell family stories about learning in their homes. Finds that families and teachers involved in this project become more aware of home experiences as part of literacy…

Studied the interrater reliability of a portfolio assessment used in a small-scale program evaluation. Investigated analytic, combined analytic, and holistic family literacy portfolios from an Even Start program. Results show that at least three raters are needed to obtain acceptable levels of reliability for holistic and individual analytic…

Describes a range of British family literacy initiatives: family literacy in settings working with students from nursery to secondary education; specialist courses for Portuguese-speaking families; and health and parenting programs that address parenting issues and support families in accessing health services. (Author/JOW)

Family literacy has come of age during the past quarter of a century. This article provides a brief review of family literacy history and components. Pedagogical implications for teachers of primary grade students are considered, and suggestions given for increasing home-school literacy involvement through the following types of initiatives:…

Families are children's first educators and play a critical role in young children's literacy development. Young children's success as readers is related to their early literacy experiences in the home. Family literacy practices determine young children's literacy skills prior to formal instruction. However, families may not be aware of best…

This article analyzes a subset of data gathered during a survey of 155 school systems and communities across the nation. The data were obtained from a capability survey as part of the application for a Toyota Family Literacy Program (TFLP) grant. Educators and civic leaders in 38 states responded to questions about their five greatest challenges…