Family literacy is a method of education. Relatively new, family literacy is being put into practice in the United States, Canada, and South Africa.
Philosophy
The roots of family literacy as an educational method come from the belief that “the parent is the child’s first teacher.” Studies have demonstrated that adults who have a higher level of education tend to not only become productive citizens with enhanced social and economic capacity in society, but their children are more likely to be successful in school. Literate parents are better able to support the learning of their children. Establishing family literacy programs is the most effective strategy to increase parental involvement and literacy development. The purpose of parental literacy curriculum is to increase students’ academic achievement. When family literacy programs are established parents become advocates for their child's literacy. Simultaneously students’ literacy excels as parents become empowered. When parents are empowered they become active lifelong participants in their child's education
Overview
Comprehensive family literacy services provide a holistic, fully integrated, family-focused approach, providing parents and children most in need of improving their literacy skills with intensive, frequent, and long-term educational and non-educational services. Family literacy services make sustainable changes in a family by integrating all of the following activities: Adult Education: designed to extend basic academic level, think critically and creatively, solve problems, set and achieve goals, and acquire successful workplace and interpersonal skills. Childhood Education: designed to promote the growth and development of young children and to engage parents in their child's educational program in order to foster meaningful involvement that will be maintained throughout the child's educational career. Parent Education: provides instruction on how children grow, develop, and learn. It addresses issues critical to family well-being, connects parents with community resources, and provides opportunities for parents to network and develop mutual support systems. Interactive Parent/Child Activities: provides parents and children the opportunity to share their newly developed literacy experiences. Parents and children interact together, enriching their relationship through reciprocal learning that takes place, enabling them to become true partners in education.