Family Literacy: An Annotated
Bibliography
(August 2000)
Part A: Family Literacy
Section 1: Conceptual Issues in Family Literacy
Adult Literacy and Basic Skills Unit. (1993). Family literacy.
Viewpoints: A Series of Occasional Papers on Basic Education,
15. (ERIC Document Reproduction Service No. ED 362 766).
This issue is dedicated to the topic of family literacy and draws
on research and practice from both the United Kingdom and the United
States. The following articles are included in this issue: (1)
Family Literacy as a Intergenerational Approach to Education
by Sharon Darling; (2) Intergenerational Literacy Intervention:
Possibilities and Problems by Peter Hannon; (3) Workforce
Education, Family Literacy and Economic Development by Thomas Sticht;
(4) Parent Involvement in Parent Literacy: An Anti-poverty Perspective
by Ray Phillips; (5) Techniques in Family Literacy by Keith
Topping; and (6) A Typology of Family and Intergenerational
Literacy Programmes: Implications for Evaluation by Ruth Nickse.
Auerbach, E. R. (1989). Toward a sociocontextual approach
to family literacy. Harvard Educational Review, 59, 165–181.
Based on her study of family literacy, which included the examination
of current models of family literacy programs, ethnographic literature,
and interactions with immigrant and refugee students, Auerbach proposes
a broadening of the definition for family literacy, and a reevaluation
of the family literacy model. Instead of a family literacy model
that attempts to transmit school practices to the home, Auerbach
supports a sociocontextual approach that incorporates family, culture,
and community. The author discusses this new model of family literacy
and provides examples and suggestions for its implementation.
Benjamin, L. A., & Lord, J. (Eds.). (1996). Family literacy:
Directions in research and implications for practice. Washington,
DC: U.S. Department of Education-Office of Educational Research
and Improvement, Office of Vocational and Adult Education, Office
of Elementary and Secondary Education's Even Start Program.
This document is a compilation of papers presented at a national
symposium that focused on family literacy. This compilation represents
an important step in the development of a family literacy research
agenda. Papers include the following: Integrated Services,
Cross-Agency Collaboration, and Family Literacy (Alamprese);
English Immigrant Language Learners: Cultural Accommodation
and Family Literacy (Duran); Designing and Conducting
Family Literacy Programs That Account for Racial, Ethnic, Religious,
and Other Cultural Differences (Gadsden); Family Literacy
Programs: Creating a Fit with Families of Children with Disabilities
(Harry); Longitudinal Study of Family Literacy Program Outcomes
(Hayes); Family Literacy: Parent and Child Interactions
(Mikulecky); Teaching Parenting and Basic Skills to Parents:
What We Know (Powell); Intergenerational Transfer
of Literacy (Snow and Tabors); Informing Approaches
to Serving Families in Family Literacy Programs: Lessons from Other
Family Intervention Programs (St. Pierre and Layzer); and
Meeting the Needs of Families in Family Literacy Programs
(Strickland).
Brizius, J. & Foster, S. (1993). Generation to generation:
Realizing the promise of family literacy. Ypsilanti, MI: High/Scope
Press.
This book provides a good overview of the family literacy movement.
It explains the need for family literacy programs, provides a comprehensive
definition of family literacy, and traces the history of such programs.
Guidelines and suggestions on how to anticipate and deal with the
issues of family literacy are offered to policymakers and practitioners.
Finally, key issues about the future of the family literacy movement
are addressed. The book is divided into the following eight chapters:
(1) Family Literacy: The Need and the Promise; (2)
Defining Family Literacy; (3) The History of
Family Literacy; (4) The Research: How Do We Know
If Family Literacy Works?; (5) Building a Community
Family Literacy Program; (6) Developing a State Family
Literacy Initiative; (7) Challenges for the Family
Literacy Movement; and (8) The Future of Family Literacy.
Brooks-Gunn, J., Berlin, L. J., & Fuligni, A. S. (2000).
Early childhood intervention programs: What about the family? In
J.P. Shonkoff, & S.J. Meisels (Eds.), Handbook of early childhood
intervention(2nd ed.). New York: Cambridge University Press.
The authors note that discussion pertaining to parent and family
roles in early childhood initiatives appear to be missing or distorted.
To address this omission, the authors depict ways in which families
are critical to early childhood program access and how the programs
influence parents' well being. This chapter also highlights how
child outcomes are mediated through program effects on parents.
It also shows how parent involvement is contingent on the relationships
among parents, staff, and children. The authors review four types
of programs: parent-focused home-based programs, parent-focused
combination center- and home-based programs, intergenerational family
literacy programs, and parent-focused literacy programs. These programs
are discussed in relation to parent and family outcomes. The authors
also examine the role of parents as catalysts of change in early
intervention programs. The final two sections focus on policy, implications
for practice, and recommendations for programs and their evaluations.
Gadsden, V. L. (1994). Understanding family literacy: Conceptual
issues. Teachers College Record, 96, 58–86.
This article examines the current research in the field of family
literacy. The first of the articles's four sections identifies major
sources of influence on current literacy research, such as cross-cultural
and social issues, intergenerational literacy, and parent-child
literacy, as well as the influence of practice. The second section,
about the nature of families and family support, describes five
assumptions as the foundation of a conceptual framework. Gadsden
then discusses the recent policy impetus for family support efforts
and explains how it serves to link literacy to family support. She
argues that before this link can be successful, literacy research
and practice must catch up in the areas of family functioning and
development. She concludes by stressing that family literacy learning
be conceptualized broadly and as an ongoing activity that varies
alongside changing life needs.
Gadsden, V.L. (2000). Intergenerational literacy within families.
In M. L. Kamil, P. B. Mosenthal, P. D. Pearson, & R. Barr (Eds.),
Handbook of reading research, Volume III (pp. 871–887).
Mahwah, NJ: Lawrence Erlbaum.
This chapter focuses on the conceptual and theoretical issues
of intergenerational literacy in families. The first section discusses
the issues associated with a more expansive and critical framework
to study intergenerational literacy. For example, Gadsden suggests
that a need exists to identify different features of learning, literacy,
families, human development, and intergenerationality in order to
fully understand how families acquire, use and value literacy. The
second section considers the theoretical context in which this framework
is emerging. Four areas of research are suggested to contribute
to this context: parent-child book reading, family literacy and
parent-child interactions around print, intergenerational learning,
and the family life course. The chapter ends with a discussion on
the use and importance of having an expanded framework on intergenerational
literacy.
Kerka, S. (1991). Family and intergenerational literacy
(ERIC Digest No. 111). Columbus, OH: ERIC Clearinghouse on Adult,
Career, and Vocational Education. (ERIC Document Reproduction Service
No. 334 467).
This article provides a brief overview of family literacy through
a discussion of current program designs, definitions of literacy,
the need for research on program effectiveness, perspectives of
and issues related to literacy, and suggestions for program development.
Kerka highlights and gives examples of four types of family/intergenerational
literacy programs. Drawing on research from related fields, Kerka
suggests that literacy should be taught comprehensively, with the
involvement of the whole family, and within a community context.
The author discusses issues in family literacy such as the "deficit"
perspective which emphasizes transmitting literacy skills from the
school to the family versus the perspective of building on the strength
of parents' knowledge and experience. Finally, Kerka makes five
recommendations for program development: these include using a broad
definition of literacy and being sensitive to cultural differences.
Kerka, S. (1992). Family literacy programs and practices:
Practice application brief. Columbus, OH: ERIC Clearinghouse
on Adult, Career and Vocational Education. (ERIC Document Reproduction
Service No. 347 328).
This Practice Application Brief serves as an overview of some of
the basic components of family literacy programs. The brief begins
by discussing the philosophy that underlies family and intergenerational
literacy programs and perspectives from which the programs are modeled.
The author espouses programs based on an empowerment model (drawing
on family strength) rather than those based on the "deficit"
model. The author classifies effective family/intergenerational
literacy programs into four categories based upon Nickse's model.
The four models (adult direct-children direct, adult indirect-children
indirect, adult direct-children indirect, and adult indirect-children
direct) are discussed with a description and example provided for
each type. Also included in this brief are strategies for effective
program implementation. Topics discussed with regard to implementing
and maintaining an effective program are audience, recruitment and
retention, subject matter, and recognition.
Morrow, L. M. (Ed.). (1995). Family literacy: Connections
in schools and communities. New Brunswick, NJ: Rutgers University.
This book presents 20 essays relevant to the field of family
literacy. The first section is an examination of the many definitions
and perspectives of family literacy. The second section describes
family literacy programs run by schools and other organizations.
Several of the essays in this section provide ideas for schools,
community agencies, and families. In the final section, the reader
is introduced to several examples of family literacy research. Implications
for practitioners are provided. The authors include Lesley Mandel
Morrow, Patricia Edwards, Elsa Roberts Auerbach, Jeanne R. Paratore,
and Vivian L. Gadsden.
Morrow, L. M., & Paratore, J. (1993). Family literacy: Perspective
and practices. Reading Teacher, 47, 194–200.
In this article, the authors discuss current views, practices,
and applications in family literacy. Because literacy activities
at school and at home are sometimes seen as incongruent with one
another, the authors suggest that the term family literacy be viewed
in the broadest sense. The authors categorize family literacy initiatives
into three areas (home-school partnership programs, intergenerational
literacy programs, and research examining literacy use in families)
and provide a description of each. Community collaboration and partnerships
are noted as integral to the future of family literacy. Examples
of collaboration in federal and state level family literacy programs
are described. The need for evaluation of family literacy initiatives
is stressed and methods of disseminating information regarding family
literacy are presented.
Nickse, R. S. (1990). Family and intergenerational literacy
programs: An update of "the noises of literacy." Columbus,
OH: ERIC Clearinghouse on Adult, Career and Vocational Education,
The Ohio State University Center on Education and Training for Employment.
(ERIC Document Reproduction Services No. ED 327 736).
This report serves as a comprehensive overview of family and intergenerational
literacy programs for a wide audience, including policymakers, legislators,
program administrators and staff, and individuals interested in
family literacy education. The first section of this report provides
background information such as definitions, purposes, federal legislation,
and sponsorships that have produced literacy initiatives, program
expectations, and reasons and motivations for validating program
development. The second section of the report discusses research
from related fields of study that justify family and intergenerational
literacy program growth. In the third section, the author describes
family and intergenerational literacy programs in the following
five sectors: (1) adult basic education; (2) libraries; (3) family
English literacy; (4) preschool and elementary education; and (5)
corporations and businesses. A table is included in the report that
depicts strengths and challenges for each sector. A typology for
classifying family and intergenerational literacy programs based
upon the intervention type and target is presented. The result is
four models of programs (direct adults-direct children, indirect
adults-indirect children, direct adults-indirect children, and indirect
adults-direct children) for which the author provides examples and
discusses advantages and disadvantages for each.
Nickse, R. S. (1990). Family literacy programs: Ideas for action.
Adult Learning, 1, 9–13, 28–29.
In this article, Nickse addresses factors that perpetuate illiteracy.
She then discusses benefits of family literacy programs, including
improved attitudes, behavior, and reading skills for parent and
child. Although there has been some empirical evidence supporting
the effectiveness of programs, there needs to be more research in
the field. For example, she found no evidence of changes in achievement
for participants in family literacy programs. Nickse describes four
basic models for delivering family literacy services and provides
examples of each type of program. Suggestions for designing programs
that address local needs, as well as ways to secure funding for
programs are discussed. Nickse also addresses issues related to
program design effectiveness (e.g., collaboration and parent participation)
and administration and management of programs (e.g., staff, funding,
and sites). The author then covers some matters associated with
teaching (e.g., collaborative approaches and multiculturalism).
The article concludes with tips for program evaluation (e.g., techniques
and information dissemination).
Padak, N. & Rasinski, T. (Eds.). (1995). Family Literacy.
The Reading Teacher, 48(7).
This issue is dedicated to the topic of family literacy. An introduction
is followed by seven articles regarding various aspects of family
literacy. The topics addressed in the articles include the importance
of the family in literacy development; the Parents as Partners Reading
Program; school outreach programs; the varying use of print in families;
creating cultural connections between parents and their children;
project FLAME and family literacy programs for Latino families;
and the use of family portfolios to evaluate family literacy programs.
Paratore, J. & Harrison, C. (1995). A themed issue on family
literacy. Journal of Reading, 38, 516–517.
This themed issue is a collection of articles that present broad
and diverse views of family literacy. The authors challenge educators
to reexamine the deficit hypothesis, which they believe derives
from a lack of congruence between home and school literacy experiences
and a lack of understanding about the practice of literacy in linguistically
and culturally diverse families. The authors' goal is for readers
to reformulate their ideas about family literacy programs and practices
in order to promote home/school partnerships.
Ponzetti, J. J., & Bodine, W. J. (1993). Family literacy
and parent education. Adult Basic Education, 3(2), 106–114.
This article presents a conceptual model of family literacy programs
with descriptions of program components and discusses the importance
of parent education in family literacy programs. Ponzetti and Bodine
define family literacy programs as having two unique features that
make them different from other services provided for parents and
children. First, family literacy programs focus on the family as
a unit, and second, these programs provide joint literacy activities
to families (adults and children together) that are applicable to
their daily lives. The component model presented proposes that family
literacy programs have three key ingredients: Adult Basic Education,
Early Childhood Education, and Parenting Education. The authors
provide a description of each component. Last, the authors elaborate
on the importance of parenting education in family literacy programs.
Purcell-Gates, V. (1993). Issues for family literacy research:
Voices from the trenches. Language Arts, 70, 670–677.
This article explores issues researchers of family literacy must
address to achieve valid study results. These issues include better
understanding the relationship among poverty, families with low
literacy levels, and emergent literacy; finding effective methods
for understanding the ways in which families contribute to future
school success; attempting to gain more congruence between the results
of studies and the perceptions and experiences of the families and
communities being studied; and refraining from inferring causal
relationships from correlations. Purcell-Gates illustrates these
issues with an example of an ongoing family literacy study.
Purcell-Gates, V. (2000). Family literacy. In M. L. Kamil, P.
B. Mosenthal, P. D. Pearson, & R. Barr (Eds.), Handbook of
reading research, Volume III (pp. 853–870). Mahwah, NJ:
Lawrence Erlbaum.
This chapter divides into three parts. The first part reviews the
research that provides the foundation on which family literacy is
based. These areas include the family as a foundation for learning,
language and literacy development; emergent literacy; written, vocabulary/language,
print, phonological awareness and letter-sound knowledge; as well
as motivation. The second part discusses two different approaches
to family literacy. Descriptive approaches to family literacy focus
on how families use literacy. Pedagogical approaches focus on the
kinds of family literacy programs. Family literacy programs range
from teaching or training families specific literacy practices to
beliefs that approaches need to incorporate mutual respect and collaboration
with families. The third part reviews the effectiveness of family
literacy programs on the impact of children's skills, achievement,
and attitudes; the impact on parents' academic skills, literate
behaviors, and confidence/self-esteem; and the impact on parent/child
literacy interactions. The chapter ends with conclusions based on
the family literacy research and with suggestions for future research
in family literacy.
Richardson, M. V., Sacks, K., & Ayers, M. N. (1995). Intergenerational
literacy leads to empowerment of families and schools. Reading
Improvement, 32, 85–91.
In this article, the authors discuss the importance of families
and schools working together to improve the literacy skills of both
children and adults. Definitions of family literacy and intergenerational
literacy are examined. The authors propose broadening these definitions
to include
shared experiences among family members in which something new is
learned. The importance of and suggestions for including the family
in the planning and implementation of literacy programs is noted.
The authors describe strategies for promoting literacy in the home
and strengthening the family-school connection. The authors view
collaboration between families and schools as a tool for empowering
both and as a way to satisfy the National Goals 2000.
Taylor, D. (Ed.). (1997). Many families, many literacies:
An international declaration of principles. Portsmouth, NH:
Heinemann.
In an effort to counter what is described as the prevailing deficit-based
view of family literacy, a group of 50 participants from around
the world gathered at the International Forum on Family Literacy
to set up principles for redefining family literacy. The intent
was to have a broad spectrum of professionals address issues related
to the family literacy movement, especially issues related to ethical
and human rights concerns. This book, a result of that conference,
identifies a set of principles for family literacy and presents
a compilation of articles on family literacy by researchers, teachers
and parent learners. Challenging the reader to question practices
based on a deficit view of family literacy, the articles cover the
many different types of families served in family literacy programs,
the general principles of language and literacy, ethics in research
and program development, and principles for assessment, funding
agencies and policymakers.
Tett, L., & St. Clair, R., (1997). Family literacy in the
educational marketplace: A cultural perspective. International
Journal of Lifelong Education, 16(2), 109–120.
The authors discuss two recent developments, the spread of family-centered
approaches to literacy education and the view of the family as a
consumer of education. They argue that the view of families as consumers
of education has lead to a school-centered dominance of family literacy
programs. They highlight a number of problems they see as associated
with the implementation of family literacy programs that espouse
school-centered approaches to literacy. By contrast, they advocate
programs that are responsive to the family's culture and that support
home-based literacy uses. They also argue against a deficit-based
view thought to be guiding current beliefs in the field of family
literacy.
Tracey, D. H. (1995). Family literacy: Overview and synthesis
of an ERIC search. In K. Hinchman, D.J. Leu, & C. Kinzer (Eds.),
Perspectives on literacy: Research and practice, forty-fourth
yearbook of the National Reading Conference (pp. 280–288).
Chicago: National Reading Conference. (ERIC Document Reproduction
Service No. ED 379 611).
To pull together and facilitate further knowledge within the field
of family literacy, as well as to better define family literacy,
Tracey conducted a comprehensive review of the literature. Using
the descriptor "family literacy" on two indexes within
the ERIC system (Resources in Education (RIE) and Current Indexes
to Journals in Education (CIJE)), 409 references and abstracts were
located and reviewed. For the final reporting of the literature,
135 documents were sorted into 3 main categories—research emphasis
(19 percent), program descriptions (35 percent), and position papers
(38 percent)—and then analyzed. Several strengths, weaknesses,
and needs in the literature emerged as a result of the review. The
primary weaknesses noted were a lack of clear and agreed-upon definitions
in the field; a disproportionately small percentage of documents
created from a research perspective; a too narrow focus on topics
that would fit more appropriately into areas outside of family literacy;
and a lack of research on program efficacy. Primary strengths included
the fact that the attrition rate for participants in family literacy
programs is considerably smaller than in adult literacy programs,
and that documented research consistently supports the finding that
participants of family literacy programs are benefited by increased
positive literacy interactions in the home between parent and child
as a correlate of participation.
Weinstein-Shr, G. (1992). Family and intergenerational literacy
in multilingual families. ERIC Q & A. Washington, DC: Center
for Applied Linguistics, National Clearinghouse on Literacy Education.
(ERIC Document Reproduction Service No. ED 378 848).
In this document, the author addresses five questions related to
family and intergenerational literacy programs and the multilingual
families enrolled in these programs. Weinstein-Shr first addresses
the subtle difference between family and intergenerational literacy
programs by explaining that the first term focuses primarily on
the parent and child while the second term more broadly includes
other adults. She identifies the goals of these programs to be promoting
parental involvement; improving of skills, attitudes, values, and
behaviors associated with reading; increasing the social significance
of literacy; and addressing the unique problems of relocated families.
The author suggests that programs build on family strengths, emphasize
collaboration, and acknowledge both the native culture of the participants
as well as the new culture. In addition, she suggests continuing
ethnographic research because the functions and uses of language
and literacy in specific communities is becoming increasingly important.
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