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, writing, self-esteem and school attitudes, and health. Studies have also shown that parents who participate in family literacy programs achieve gains in employment status and job satisfaction and demonstrate improved attitudes about education, reading and writing ability, math and science knowledge, and knowledge of parenting skills and child development. Families who have participated in family literacy programs have been shown to learn to value education, become more involved in schools, and become emotionally closer. Research has also confirmed that family literacy programs have positive effects on the following social problems: nutrition and health problems, low school achievement and high school dropout rates, teen parenting, joblessness and welfare dependency, and social alienation. (Contains 58 references.) (MN)