This study examines the "communal organizing literacies" of Latine/x immigrant families who organize for immigrant rights in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Drawing from a subset of qualitative data (e.g., observant-participant fieldnotes, open-ended interviews, member checks, artifacts, and photographs) from a larger year-long practitioner…

For many centuries, intergenerational literacy learning outside formal educational institutions has been an important part of everyday family life in Nepal. Yet, educational policy continues to focus on promoting 'schooled' approaches to literacy for both adults and children, overlooking informal learning and indigenous literacy practices in many…

Family literacy programs are potential spaces of empowerment for transnational families, yet often draw from deficit logics that fail to acknowledge the rich language and literacy practices of Latinx communities. We brought together theories of critical literacy and theories of mothering as critical work to document how transnational Latina…

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…

One current challenge highlighted by the United Nations is to increase the number of adults who achieve literacy and numeracy by 2030. This article focuses on one experience from an underprivileged Mexican school that implements "Family Education, a Successful Educational Action." Following a communicative methodology, we conducted a…

The increasing number of English learners in local communities in the U.S. include both children and their family members. There is an urgent need to provide educational support for both generations of English learners. In this report from the field, a partnership program using a two-generation approach is described. Based on interviews,…

The authors of this article begin with an introduction to the holistic concept of family literacy and learning and its implementation in various international contexts, paying special attention to the key role played by the notions of lifelong learning and intergenerational learning. The international trends and experiences they outline inspired…

Straddling conventional education system boundaries between adult learners and children, and between employment-related and social benefits, family literacy programmes are not well recognised or supported in New Zealand's policy and funding environment. In this article, I reflect on my personal experience of redesigning the Whanau Ara Mua…

Over the past century in the U.S., stronger parental involvement in children's education has been encouraged and, more recently, codified into state teaching standards. Despite this, fully engaging parents as equal and respected partners has remained elusive. The quest seems particularly perplexing when attempting to enhance participation of…

Literacy is one of the strongest predictors of adult success, yet one in four children are illiterate and 50% of adults cannot read a book that is written on an eighth grade level. Although African American children from low-income homes are three times more likely than White children to be poor, and at greater risk for illiteracy, this author is…

This ethnographic study presents findings of the literacy practices of Burmese refugee families and their interaction with a book distribution program paired with an intergenerational family literacy program. The project was organized at the level of Bronfenbrenner's exosystem (in "Ecology of human development". Cambridge, Harvard…

In this article, we share real-world literacy activities that we designed and implemented in two early literacy classes for preschoolers from two inner-city neighbourhoods that were part of an intergenerational family literacy program, Literacy for Life (LFL). The program was informed by research that shows that young children in high literate…

At the community level, literacy improvement can no longer be the mission of a single organization. Successful literacy intervention is a family goal. Many are intrigued with the common sense of the new collaborative literacy programs and hope that they will succeed in breaking the intergenerational cycle of low literacy. (Author/JOW)

Analyzes successful family literacy projects. Finds defining characteristics and key features of practice that can be used to establish effective family literacy programs: offers literacy instruction to families, broadly defined; creates strategic recruitment plans; emphasizes retention; creates a supportive environment; and includes ongoing…

Summarizes results for parents of the original evaluation and the follow-up of Family Literacy Demonstration Programmes at four sites in Wales and England. Finds that parents benefited in employment, study, qualifications, literacy, and ability to help their children, and involvement with their children's schools. (RS)