Teaching and Learning about Family Literacy and Family Literacy Programs

This book provides a systematic exploration of family literacy, including its historic origins, theoretical expansion, practical applications within the field, and focused topics within family literacy. Grounded in sociocultural approaches to learning and literacy, the book covers research on how families use literacy in their daily lives as well as different models of family literacy programs and interventions that provide opportunities for parent-child literacy interactions and that support the needs of children and parents as adult learners. Chapters discuss key topics, including the roles of race, ethnicity, culture, and social class in family literacy; digital family literacies; family-school relationships and parental engagement in schools; fathers? involvement in family literacy; accountability and employment; and more. Throughout the book, Lynch and Prins share evidence-based literacy practices and highlight examples of successful family literacy programs. Acknowledging lingering concerns, challenges, and critiques of family literacy, the book also offers recommendations for research, policy, and practice.

Accessible and thorough, this book comprehensively addresses family literacies and is relevant for researchers, scholars, graduate students, and instructors and practitioners in language and literacy programs.

Part I: Introduction and Literacy Foundations

Chapter 1: Family Literacy: Introduction and Overview

Chapter 2: Literacy Theories and Families

Chapter 3: Early Literacy Development

Chapter 4: Adult Education and Literacy

Part II: Family Literacy and Diversity

Chapter 5: Family Literacy and Race, Ethnicity, and Culture

Chapter 6: Family Literacy and Social Class

Part III: Family Literacy in Practice

Chapter 7: Family Literacy Models and Practice Settings

Chapter 8: Family Literacy Programs: Successful Models and Practices

Part IV: Family Literacy: Focused Topics

Chapter 9: Father Engagement in Literacy and Family Literacy Programs

Chapter 10: The Role of Other Family and Community Members in Family Literacy

Chapter 11: Digital Literacies in Family Literacy

Chapter 12: Diversity and Family-School Relationships: Improving Parental Engagement with Schools

Chapter 13: Accountability, Employment and Family Literacy

Part IV: Conclusions

Chapter 14: Conclusions and Future Directions

Jacqueline Lynch is Associate Professor of Literacy Education in the School of Education and Human Development at Florida International University, USA.

Esther Prins is Professor of Lifelong Larning and Adult Education and Co-Director of the Goodling Institute for Research in Family Literacy and Institute for the Study of Adult Literacy at The Pennsylvania State University, USA.