ESL Literacy: What's Working, Why and How--Family Literacy (original) (raw)
Related papers
1992
A study examined the influence of an intergenerational approach on the literacy development of parents and on the practice of family literacy at home. During a 3-year period, 367 families enrolled in multilingual, multiability literacy classes for at least one instructional cycle. The adult basic education classes were held in a community center located within walking distance of three of the four elementary schools in an ethnically diverse, two-square-mile area considered a "gateway" for new immigrants. The adults were provided instruction in reading and responded to literacy materials of adult interest as well as a selection of books, strategies, and ideas for use with their children; they were also encouraged to share their children's stories and literacy events. Data included assessments of parents' fluency in reading English, attendance, attrition, and self-report data on parent/child literacy activities. Results indicated that: (1) attendance was consistent across learners and across instructional cycles; (2) demonstration and modeling led to routine practice of family literacy within a relatively brief period of time; (3) storybook reading emerged as a frequent behavior, while shared writing did not; (4) parents visited the local library only once a month; and (5) there was a high growth in literacy fluency among the lowest performing adults. Findings suggest that an intergenerational focus in multiability multilingual adult education classes may provide an important vehicle for promoting literacy learning of adults. (Two figures and one table of data are included; 27 references are attached.) (RS)
A Family Literacy Curriculum for Community Esl Courses
BRIGHAM YOUNG UNIVERSITY As chair of the candidate's graduate committee, I have read the project report of George W. C. Bailey in its final form and have found that (1) its format, citations, and bibliographical style are consistent and acceptable and fulfill university and department style requirements; (2) its illustrative materials include figures, tables, and charts are in place; and (3) the final manuscript is satisfactory to the graduate committee and is ready for submission to the university library.
Literacy for Life: An Intergenerational Literacy Program
Canadian Council on Learning
Acknowledgements v Preface vi purposes that occur in the context of literacy instruction. An example of this would be writing a grocery list in order to go shopping for groceries and then using that list to go shopping for groceries. In opposition to the term "authentic" is the term "school-only", which we use to describe literacy activities that occur in the context of instruction that have no purpose outside of a learning to read and write purpose. An example would be reading a story in order to answer oral or written questions in a workbook. We implemented activities that were highly authentic, in this program, in our two sites.
Project FIEL: Family Initiative for English Literacy Handbook
1990
This handbook is a description of a Title VII Family Literacy Project implemented through El Paso Community College Literacy Programs in the El Paso, Texas area. The perspective is that literacy education in culturally and linguistically diverse areas must be an evolving, developmental process. The intergenerational Family Initiative for English Literacy (FIEL) project was designed to help parents help their children. Teachers adapted a skeletal curriculum and instructional activities to meet their own teaching styles and to meet the interests and needs of the learners. This handbook first reviews the project and then reports on the following topics: instructional model; project design rationale; model implementation; curriculum evolution; recruitment; teacher development; parent groups; ongoing evaluation; final evaluation; and inplications for parent involvement, bilingual classrooms, literacy development of adults and children, teachers as intellectuals, and multicultural education. Appendices include the following: sample lessons, debriefing notes, information on curriculum evaluation and changes, recruitment meeting invitations and fliers, items related to teacher eevelopmant and ongoing evaluation, FIEL newsletters, fliers and evaluation forms, parent interview forms (including Spanish version), and lists of referrals. (LB)
Learning Families: Intergenerational Approaches to Literacy Teaching and Learning
2015
All of the literacy programmes featured in this publication share valuable experiences and lessons. They reflect a view of effective learning families whereby each child is a member of a family, and within a learning family every member is a lifelong learner. Among disadvantaged families and communities in particular, a family literacy and learning approach is more likely to break the intergenerational cycle of low education and literacy skills and foster a culture of learning than fragmented and isolated measures to address low levels of learning achievement and the lack of reading, writing and language skills (Elfert and Hanemann, 2014). However, to make such an approach successful, it is necessary to provide sustained teacher training, develop a culture of collaboration among institutions, teachers and parents, and secure sustainable funding through longer-term policy support.
An Investigation of an Intergenerational Approach to Literacy
1990
A study investigated the impact of an intergenerational approach on: (1) the literacy development and literacy use of adult learners enrolled in an adult basic education program; and (2) the emergent and developing literacy of their children. The project is one of several that have been implemented under the Boston University/Chelsea Public Schools Partnership, in which the Chelsea Public Schools have signed a 10-year contract to be managed by the university. Subjects included 74 families. Four days a week, adults attended literacy classes where they were provided: (1) instruction in reading and responding to literacy materials of adult interest; (2) a selection of books; (3) strategies and ideas for use with their children; and (4) encouragement to share their children's stories and drawings and to discuss literacy events and their importance in their lives and the lives of their children. Tne impact of the program on parents and their children was assessed. Results suggested that the design of the program met the needs of the learners as indicated by the high attendance rate and low attrition rate. Evidence from three case studies indicated significant change in adults' ability to retell and then summarize what they had read when reading materials typically found in their home/work environment. Self-report data indicated steady and systematic practice of shared literacy in the home setting. With regard to the impact of the project on children's literacy learning, findings confirmed numerous previous investigations which indicated that consistent and frequent exposure to literacy in natural settings leads to the practice of literacy to facilitate play. (Fifteen references are attached.) (MG)
Many English language learners (ELLs) and children living in poverty begin school with substantially less English vocabulary knowledge than their monolingual, economically advantaged peers. Without effective intervention, these vocabulary gaps are likely to contribute to long-term reading failure. This quasi-experimental study examined the extent to which a family literacy program (FLP) moderated vocabulary development of 158 ELLs (prekindergarten through third grade) from low-income families in relation to children's level of vocabulary knowledge (at, moderately below, or substantially below national norms) on program entry. The FLP activities focused on supporting parents' development of English literacy and on teaching them effective ways to engage their children in authentic, home-based literacy events and practices that could be expected to prepare their children for success in school. Findings indicated that although all children demonstrated substantial language and literacy growth, children with the lowest pretest vocabulary knowledge achieved the greatest vocabulary gains and these gains differed significantly from their demographically matched peers who did not participate in the FLP. Gains for treatment and control children with middle and high pretest vocabulary knowledge (relative to this sample) did not differ