DOCUMENT RESUME
ED 384 004 CS 012 168
AUTHOR Morrow, Lesley Mandel; And OthersTITLE Family Literacy: New Perspectives,-New
Opportunities.
INSTITUTION International Reading Association, Newark, Del.PUB DATE 94
NOTE 8p.; Statement prepared by the International ReadingAssociation, Family Literacy Commission.
AVAILABLE FROM Order DepartmP-:., International Reading Association,P.O. Box 8139, Newark, DE 19714-8139 (single copiesare free; $7 per 100 copies).
PUB TYPE Guides Non-Classroom Use (055)
EDRS PRICE MF31 /PCO1 Plus Postage.DESCRIPTORS Definitions; Elementary Education; Intergenerational
Programs; *Literacy; Parent Participation; *ProgramEffectiveness; Research Methodology
IDENTIFIERS *Family Literacy
ABSTRACTThis brochure presents new perspectives and
opportunities in family literacy. The brochure offers seven ideas asa definition of family literacy, and discusses why family literacy isimportant. It also discusses three areas where family literacy istaking place (studying the ways literacy is used by families, parentinvolvement initiatives, and intergenerational literacy initiatives).The brochure also offers 11 general guidelines that will increase thelikelihood of making a family literacy program successful. Thebrochure concludes with a selected list of 12 organizations in 5countries that can 131 contacted for further information. (RS)
***********************************************************************
Reproductions supplied by EDRS are the best that can be made *
* from the original document.***********************************************************************
gerOO00Ce1
a
le
cis
V
"PERMISSION TO REPRODUCE THISMATERIAL HAS BEEN GRANTED BY
I- Twin/
TO THE EDUCATIONAL RESOURCESINFORMATION CENTER (ERIC)."
New Perspectives,New Opportunities
U S DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATIONpu ee N Ethicaiionai a- 7.
EDUCATIONAL RESOURCES INFORMATIONCENTER tERICI
This document has been teproduced asreceived from the person or organizationoriginating itMinor changes have been made toimprove reproduction quality
Points of view or opinions stated in thisdocument do not necessarily representofficial OERI position or policy
A statement prepared bythe international R ailing Association
Family Litera-:, Commission
Primary authors:
Lesley Mandel Morrow
Jeanne R. Paratore0
Diane H. Tram,'
z
REST COPY AVAILABLE
Fam
ily L
itera
cy:
A D
efir
ition
,e
term
"fa
mily
liter
acy"
des
crib
es a
com
plex
conc
ept t
hat t
o da
te h
as n
otbe
en c
lear
ly
defin
ed. T
he In
tern
atio
nal R
eadi
ngA
ssoc
ia-
tion'
s F
amily
Lite
racy
Com
mis
sion
offe
rs th
e fo
llow
-
ing
idea
s as
a d
efin
ition
off
amily
lite
racy
.
1. F
amily
lite
racy
enc
ompa
sses
the
way
s pa
rent
s.
child
ren.
and
ext
ende
d fa
mily
mem
bers
use
liter
acy
at h
ome
and
in th
eir
com
mun
ity.
2. F
amily
lite
racy
occ
urs
natu
rally
durin
g th
e ro
u-
tines
of d
aily
livi
ng a
nd h
elps
adul
ts a
nd c
hil-
dren
"ge
t thi
ngs
done
."
3. E
xam
ples
of f
amily
liter
acy
mig
ht in
clud
e us
ing
draw
ings
or
writ
ings
to s
hare
idea
s;co
mpo
sing
note
s or
lette
rs to
com
mun
icat
e m
essa
ges;
keep
ing
reco
rds:
mak
ing
lists
: rea
ding
and
fol-
low
ing
dire
ctio
ns: o
r sh
arin
g st
orie
s an
did
eas
thro
ugh
conv
ersa
tion,
rea
ding
, and
writ
ing.
4. F
amily
lite
racy
may
be
initi
ated
purp
osef
ully
by
a pa
rent
. or
may
occ
ursp
onta
neou
sly
as p
ar-
ents
and
chi
ldre
n; g
o ab
out
the
busi
ness
of
thei
r da
ily li
ves.
5. F
amily
lite
racy
act
iviti
es m
ayal
so r
efle
ct th
e
ethn
ic. r
acia
l. or
cul
tura
l her
itage
oft
he fa
mi-
lies
invo
lved
.
6. F
amily
lite
racy
act
iviti
es m
aybe
initi
ated
by
outs
ide
inst
itutio
ns o
r ag
enci
es. T
hese
activ
ities
are
ofte
n in
tend
ed to
sup
port
the
acqu
isiti
on
and
deve
lopm
ent o
f sch
ool-l
ike
liter
acy
beha
v-
iors
of p
aren
ts. c
hild
ren.
and
fam
ilies
.
7. F
amily
lite
racy
act
iviti
es in
itiat
edby
out
side
agen
cies
may
incl
ude
fam
ily s
tory
book
read
ing.
com
plet
ing
hom
ewor
k as
sign
men
ts, o
rw
ritin
g
essa
ys o
r re
port
s.
3
Fam
ily L
itera
cy:
Why
is I
t im
port
ant?
In o
rder
to h
elp
fam
ilies
ext
end
thei
r ex
istin
g us
es o
f
liter
acy,
the
Fam
ily L
itera
cy C
omm
issi
onha
s di
s-
crim
inat
ed c
lear
ly b
etw
een
the
diffe
rent
pur
pose
s
for
and
uses
of l
itera
cy a
t hom
e.A
par
ent i
s a
child
's
first
teac
her,
and
a c
hild
will
lear
nfr
om a
par
ent f
or a
long
er p
erio
d th
an fr
om a
ny o
ther
per
son.
Bec
ause
of
this
, par
ents
are
the
mos
t im
port
ant
peop
le in
a c
hild
's
educ
atio
nal l
ife. R
esea
rch
has
dem
onst
rate
dth
at p
ar-
ents
hav
e a
stro
ngin
fluen
ce o
n th
e lit
erac
y de
velo
p-
men
t of t
heir
child
ren.
For
exam
ple,
in b
oth
early
child
hood
and
hig
h sc
hool
yea
rs, c
hild
ren
who
live
in
hom
es w
here
lite
racy
act
iviti
es r
egul
arly
take
pla
ce a
re
mor
e lik
ely
to d
evel
op g
reat
erfa
cilit
y w
ith li
tera
cy
activ
ities
than
chi
ldre
n w
ho d
o no
tha
ve r
egul
ar e
xpo-
sure
to li
tera
cy a
ctiv
ities
.S
imila
rly, w
e no
w k
now
that
whe
n ch
ildre
n ar
e re
ad to
freq
uent
ly a
thom
e. w
hen
thei
r qu
estio
ns a
bout
boo
ks a
nd p
rint a
rean
swer
ed,
whe
n th
ey a
re g
iven
acc
ess
to r
eadi
ngan
d w
ritin
g
mat
eria
ls, a
nd w
hen
they
rec
eive
pos
itive
rein
forc
e-
men
t abo
ut li
tera
cy a
ctiv
ities
,po
sitiv
e ef
fect
s on
rea
d-
ing
and
writ
ing
abili
ties
are
obse
rved
.
Lite
racy
res
earc
hers
and
oth
ers
conc
erne
dab
out
impr
ovin
g lit
erac
y ra
tes
have
incr
easi
ngly
bec
ome
invo
lved
in p
rogr
ams
that
str
ess
anin
terg
ener
atio
nal
appr
oach
to te
achi
ng li
tera
cy s
kills
.C
hild
ren
who
live
in
fam
ilies
in w
hich
the
adul
ts h
ave
limite
d lit
erac
ysk
ills
them
selv
es, o
r in
hom
es w
here
pos
itive
read
ing
and
writ
ing
expe
rienc
es a
re n
ot a
par
t ofe
very
day
life.
are
espe
cial
ly a
t ris
k. a
nd m
any
educ
atio
nal
agen
cies
are
now
look
ing
at th
e lit
erac
yne
eds
of fa
mili
es a
s a
who
le.
Fam
ily L
itera
cy:
Wha
t is
Bei
ngD
one?
The
Fam
ily L
itera
cy C
omm
issi
on h
as id
entif
ied
thre
e ar
eas
whe
re fa
mily
lite
racy
initi
ativ
es a
re
taki
ng p
lace
.
1. S
tudy
ing
the
Way
sLi
tera
cy is
Use
d by
Fam
ilies
Res
earc
hers
wor
king
on
this
asp
ect o
ffam
ily li
tera
cy
are
inte
rest
ed in
adv
anci
ngun
ders
tand
ing
of th
e
way
s in
whi
ch li
tera
cy is
use
dw
ithin
fam
ilies
. In
thes
e st
udie
s, e
mph
asis
is p
lace
d on
the
richn
ess
of
one'
s he
ritag
e an
d ex
perie
nces
rat
hert
han
on p
er-
ceiv
ed e
duca
tiona
l def
icits
. In
som
e ca
ses,
rese
arch
ers
are
expl
orin
g lit
erac
y ev
ents
that
occ
ur n
atur
ally
with
in d
iver
se fa
mili
es. I
n ot
her
case
s,re
sear
cher
s ar
e
desc
ribin
g th
e ef
fczt
s fa
mily
lite
racy
has
on
child
ren'
s
deve
lopi
ng c
once
pts
abou
t lite
racy
. With
the
know
l-
edge
gai
ned
from
suc
h st
udie
s, e
duca
tors
can
bette
r
unde
rsta
nd th
e lit
erac
ies
that
exi
st in
div
erse
fam
ilies
and
can
help
to m
ake
liter
acy
inst
ruct
ion
in s
choo
l
mor
e m
eani
ngfu
l for
bot
h pa
rent
san
d ch
ildre
n.
2. P
aren
t inv
olve
men
t Ini
tiativ
esP
aren
t inv
olve
men
t ini
tiativ
es in
clud
e pr
ogra
ms
that
are
desi
gned
to in
volv
ean
d in
form
par
ents
abo
ut
activ
ities
that
will
pro
mot
e th
eir
child
ren'
slit
erac
y
lear
ning
in s
choo
l. S
uch
prog
ram
s in
volv
e pa
rent
s as
agen
ts in
sup
port
ing
thei
rch
ild's
lite
racy
dev
elop
men
t
and
may
orig
inat
e fr
om s
choo
l, th
elib
rary
, or
othe
r
com
mun
ity a
genc
ies,
and
ofte
n ar
e co
llabo
rativ
eef
fort
s be
twee
n th
ese
agen
cies
. A b
asic
pre
mis
eof
pare
nt in
volv
emen
t pro
gram
s is
that
par
ents
are
bot
h
will
ing
and
com
mitt
ed to
hel
p th
eir
fam
ilies
lear
nlit
-er
acy
activ
ities
that
will
lead
toim
prov
ed s
choo
l per
-
form
ance
.
3. In
terg
ener
atio
nal L
itera
cyirk
iativ
esln
terg
ener
atio
nal l
itera
cy in
itiat
ives
are
spe
cific
ally
desi
gned
to im
prov
e th
e lit
erac
y de
velo
pmen
tof
bot
h
adul
ts a
nd c
hild
ren.
The
se p
rogr
ams
view
par
ents
and
child
ren
as c
o-le
arne
rs. a
nd a
re g
ener
ally
char
acte
r-
ized
by
plan
ned
and
syst
emat
ic in
stru
ctio
nfo
r bo
th.
Inst
ruct
ion
may
occ
ur w
hen
pare
nts
and
child
ren
wor
k in
eith
er c
olla
bora
tive
or p
aral
lel s
ettin
gs.T
he
inst
ruct
ion
for
adul
ts is
inte
nded
to im
prov
eth
eir
lit-
erac
y sk
ills
and
at th
e sa
me
time
teac
h th
em h
ow to
wor
k w
ith th
eir
child
ren
to a
id th
eir
deve
lopm
ent.
10s
Fam
ily L
itera
cyPr
ogra
ms:
VV
hat
Mak
es a
Pro
gram
Succ
essf
ul?
rotc
ssio
nals
inte
rest
ed in
de5
elo
ping
fam
ilylit
er
acy
prog
ram
s fr
eque
ntly
ask,
-1-
loss
do
I des
elop
a su
cces
sful
pro
gram
s S
ince
com
mun
ity n
eeds
vary
',sn
ick,
ther
e is
no
sing
lem
odel
for
deve
lopi
ng a
succ
essf
ul ta
mils
lite
racy
pro
gram
. lim
eser
, the
fol-
loss
ing
gene
ral g
uide
lines
sal
incr
ease
the
likel
ihoo
d
Of s
ucce
ss.
'Suc
cess
ful f
amds
lite
racs
pro
gram
s re
spec
t and
unde
rsta
nd th
e di
\ ers
its o
f the
fam
ilies
they
ser
se.
'Suc
cess
ful f
amily
lite
racy
pro
gram
s bu
ild u
pon
lit-
erac
y he
hasi
ors
alre
ady
pres
ent
in fa
mili
es. A
lthou
gh
thes
e he
llosi
ors
ma\
he
difle
tent
from
cons
entio
nal
inel
aks.
all
fam
ilies
use
lite
rals
in th
e ro
u-tin
e ,d
thei
r da
d I c
es Il
ese
hCha
5lO
rs,
shou
ld Ir
e
.1r6
.11(
rAle
ilcle
d, r
espe
cted
, pre
sers
ed, a
nd
dese
lope
d si
thin
fam
ily li
tera
cy p
rogr
ams.
"Suc
usst
ul fa
mily
lite
racy
pro
gram
s do
not
try
toco
rrec
t- o
r -1
1\-
the
Tam
ils. R
athe
r, th
eyle
ss in
ter-
vent
ion
as a
sup
plem
ent t
o th
e in
tera
ctio
ns th
atal
read
y ex
ist.
*Suc
cess
ful f
amily
lite
racy
pro
gram
s ar
e he
ld in
acce
ssib
le lo
catio
ns th
at a
re n
onth
reat
enin
g an
dfr
iend
ly. A
vaila
ble
tran
spor
tatio
n, c
hild
car
e, a
ndre
fres
hmen
ts a
t mee
tings
con
trib
ute
to c
reat
ing
asu
ppor
tise
clim
ate.
'Suc
cess
ful f
amily
lite
racy
pro
gram
s fo
lloss
soun
d
educ
atio
nal p
ract
ices
app
ropr
iate
for
the
liter
acy
deve
l-
opm
ent o
f chi
ldre
n an
d ad
ults
. Var
ied
stra
tegi
es fo
r lit
-
erac
y le
arni
ng a
re u
sed.
'Suc
cess
ful f
amily
lite
racy
pro
gram
s m
ay s
sork
ssith
pare
nts
and
child
ren
toge
ther
or
sepa
rate
ly, h
elpi
ng
fam
ilies
sha
re in
thei
r le
arni
ng e
xper
ienc
es.
'Suc
cess
ful f
amily
lite
racy
pro
gram
s br
ing
pare
nts
toge
ther
in s
uppo
rt g
roup
s to
sha
re e
xper
ienc
es a
ndle
arn
from
one
ano
ther
.
'Suc
cess
ful f
amily
lite
racy
pro
gram
s se
ek to
impr
ose
both
the
qual
ity a
nd th
e ra
nge
of p
aren
t-ch
ildin
tera
c-
tions
in r
eadi
ng a
ndril
ing.
'Suc
cess
ful f
amily
, lite
racy
pro
gram
s pr
ovid
e pa
rent
s\s
at id
eas
and
mat
eria
ls fo
r lit
erac
y ac
tiviti
esin
the
hom
e. *Suc
cess
ful f
amily
lite
racy
pro
gram
s en
cour
age
par-
ent i
nput
into
the
acad
emic
des
elop
men
tof
the
chil-
dren
.
*Suc
cess
ful f
amily
lite
racy
pro
gram
s ar
eco
llabo
ratis
e
effo
rts
that
com
bine
the
stre
ngth
s of
man
yag
enci
es.
BE
ST
CO
PY
AV
AIL
AB
LE
Fam
ily L
itera
cy:
How
Can
1 L
earn
Mor
e?T
The
follm
sing
org
aniia
tions
can
he
cont
acte
d fo
rfu
rthe
r in
form
atio
n on
\say
s to
est
ablis
h, a
dmin
-is
ter,
and
eva
luat
e fa
mily
lite
racy
pro
gram
s.(B
ecau
se o
f lim
ited
spac
e, \s
e ar
e un
able
to p
rovi
de a
nal
l-inc
lusi
ve li
st o
f nat
iona
l and
inte
rnat
iona
l org
ani-
zatio
ns c
once
rned
ssi
th fa
mily
lite
racy
.)
Aus
tral
ial i
ntui
t Sta
lcs
Rt
ling
Bal
i:iris
lifts
,:11
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t ill
!CH
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BEST COPY AVAILABLE
The Family Literacy Commission of the InternationalReading Association is charged with conductingresearch and creating professional development
materials in the area of family literacy.
Lesley Mandel Morrow, Chair
Pehr-Olof Ronnholm, Board Liaison
June Atkins
Caroline Beverstock
Marie C. Di Biasio
Patricia A. Edwards
Devron A. Gaber
Colin Ilarrison
Dolores B. Malcolm
Susan Neuman
John Daniel O'Leary
Jeanne R. Paratore
Jorie W. Philippi
Diane H. Tracey
Carol Greenwood Trejo
Alan E. Farstrup, Ex Officio
Doris Roettger, Ex Officio
ORDERING INFORMATION
This brochure may be purchased from the InternationalReading Association in quantities of 100 at a cost ofUSS7.00 per 100. Single copies are free on request.
The International Reading Association is a 94,000member nonprofit professional organization dedicated
to improving reading instruction and promotingliteracy worldwide.
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Copyright 1994 by the International ReadingAssociation, Inc. All rights reserved.
International Reading Association800 Barksdale Road
Newark, Delaware 19714-8139, USA
Illustrations by Dave Bailey
ft 7`S