We present results of a randomized control trial of a two-generation English as a Second Language (ESL) program in which all families participated in Head Start while treatment parents also enrolled in a high dosage, family-focused ESL curriculum with supportive services. Examining 197 parent-child dyads among Spanish- (89%) and Zomi-speaking…

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 questions and answers in this document focus on the way that families affect and create the conditions for literacy development and use among family members. The following questions are addressed: (1) What is family literacy? Is it the same as intergenerational literacy? (2) What are the goals of family and intergenerational programs, and what…

Summarizes eight documents recently placed in the Educational Resources Information Center (ERIC) database. They cover women and literacy, reading to children, multilingual families, curriculum development, English as a Second Language, volunteers in adult education, reading professionals, and Barbara Bush's efforts to promote national literacy.…

A project to promote collaboration between child and adult literacy educators in a family English-as-a-Second-Language (ESL) literacy program is described. It arose from conflicting opinions and concerns voiced by teachers familiar with different student groups and with different instructional frames of reference. Quarterly teacher preplanning…

Project Mastery was a family literacy program that served 30 adults and 40 children in its first year of operation. Participants were parents and adult siblings of present and past English-as-a-Second-Language programs and students of limited English proficiency (LEP) in kindergarten through grade 5. It was designed to support English language…

An intergenerational English-as-a-Second-Language (ESL) program was implemented in Plymouth, Michigan, as a result of a need in a community adult ESL program and child care center, where many adult ESL students (predominantly Japanese) had preschool children who could not adjust to the child care center. The program initially allowed for mother…

These two documents discuss two related family literacy projects that were conducted to develop a model for providing sustained literacy and developmental activities to economically disadvantaged families throughout Pennsylvania. The first document details the development/implementation of the Families Reading Together program, which built upon…

The report describes a family literacy program in the Allentown School District (Pennsylvania). Instructional activities included two adult English-as-a-Second-Language (ESL) classes using resources of the school district, Adult Literacy Center of the Lehigh Valley, and a local church, which provided child care facilities. Adults met twice weekly…

A family literacy program designed for parents of preschool and elementary school children is described and evaluated. Participants were 20 Korean families in which the parents had limited English proficiency. Parents read with children and were instructed in the use of reading strategies that could be used at home. Various whole language…

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…

Terms and concepts currently in use in adult English-as-a-Second-Language (ESL) instruction are defined and explained. They include: authentic or alternative assessment; computer-assisted language learning; critical literacy theory; family and intergenerational literacy; multiple intelligences and learning styles; practitioner inquiry, reflective…

Joliet Junior College's Center for Adult Basic Education and Literacy (CABEL) is responsible for providing adult basic education and support services for adults whose skills in reading and mathematics are below the 12th grade level. Its offerings include instruction in Adult Basic Education (ABE), General Educational Development (GED), English as…

This document explores selected issues related to connecting welfare reform initiatives and the literacy movement and provides basic information about literacy education and its economic impact. Literacy is defined, and similarities and differences between adult basic education, adult secondary education, and English-as-a-Second-Language programs…

This special issue of the newsletter "BEOutreach" focuses on the theme of family literacy program design and implementation. Articles address these topics: the influence of language and literacy on relationships within families and between families and schools; innovative approaches to family literacy that emphasize excellence; examples of…