Considers how a spiritual connection across age differences affects literacy education. Notes that the Bible is foremost among the texts adult basic literacy students want to read. Claims that being students of stories of faith and religion does not mean that educators become proselytizers or that they ignore the difference between public and…

Family literacy programs have been demonstrated to have significant and widespread benefits for children, parents, families, and society. Documented benefits of family literacy programs to children appear in the following areas: children's achievement in school, school attendance, oral language development, reading comprehension and vocabulary,…

Family and intergenerational literacy programs are intended to improve the literacy of educationally disadvantaged parents and children, based on the assumption that improving the literacy skills of parents results in better educational experiences for their children. A typology for classifying family literacy programs has two dimensions: type of…

A project was developed in Dorchester County, South Carolina's fastest-growing county, to help parents who lack basic skills become full partners in the education of their children, and to assist children in reaching their full potential as learners, by providing basic skills training for the parents. The program, called Parents as Instructional…

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…

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 Greater Pittsburgh Literacy Council (GPLC) worked with Beginning with Books (BWB) to develop a family literacy component for tutor training. Four objectives were achieved: (1) a family literacy segment was added to the beginning tutor training course; (2) tutor trainers were prepared to present the segment; (3) family literacy materials for…

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 six articles in this issue attempt to answer questions that have arisen due to the increase in programs that cross existing or traditional age barriers in literacy education. They draw upon recent and current research and practice both in the United Kingdom and the United States. "Family Literacy: An Intergenerational Approach to…

Family and intergenerational literacy programs provide an opportunity to combine the agendas of adult basic skills improvement and literacy development in children. This overview of practice in family and intergenerational literacy programs identifies trends, issues, and concerns and offers recommendations. The first chapter presents background…

A project was conducted in Texas using an intergenerational approach to literacy instruction. Parents received individualized literacy instruction using the Language Experience Approach, as well as instruction designed to help them encourage literacy skill development in their children. Children and parents also worked together on literacy…

For 2 decades, the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) has sought to strengthen Nepal's formal and nonformal education systems and elevate the status of women in Nepal. The extent to which USAID women's empowerment and literacy activities have contributed to increasing and improving the basic education of girls in Nepal was examined…

This newsletter reports on the activities of Equipped for the Future (EFF), which is a National Institute for Literacy initiative. EFF helps Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) recipients build the skills needed to balance work and home and make a successful transition to work. The article "EFF Frames Family Literacy Programs"…

This book contains 13 papers on situated literacies and reading and writing in context. The following papers are included: "Foreword" (Denny Taylor); "Introduction: Exploring Situated Literacies"; "Literacy Practices" (David Barton, Mary Hamilton); "Expanding the New Literacy Studies: Using Photographs To Explore…