Family literacy interventions: policy and practice
Studies of language and literacy acquisition have shown the importance of literacy activities and processes in the home and there is much evidence across Europe that all parents care about their children’s education. However, and further highlighting aspects of educational inequality, not all parents have the knowledge and skills needed to best support their children’s literacy and learning development. Consequently, they do not see themselves as able to support their children’s literacy learning. Family literacy programmes and interventions work to redress this imbalance and to build parents’, children’s, families’, and thereby the wider communities’, literacy confidence.
Despite evidence of family literacy’s potential contribution to a number of EU policy goals there is no one EU wide family literacy policy. Policies focus sometimes on adults and sometimes on children and are located within the fields of adult basic skills, adult basic education, lifelong learning, childhood education and other sectoral policies for social inclusion.
The organic and fragmented nature of family literacy provision has been viewed as one of its strengths. Yet there may also be an opportunity to further strengthen this sector through the development of a cohesive and collaboratively created EU wide family literacy policy. This would give weight to family literacy as a core element in the promotion of a culture of lifelong learning amongst all families and thus make a significant contribution to a more socially just EU.
In this online discussion we invite participants to share their experiences of family literacy to consider the following questions:
- With what family literacy interventions or programmes are you familiar in your area?
- What are the perceived/measured benefits of family literacy in your context?
- What do you think are the most significant challenges to the development of family literacy in your locality?
- Where is family literacy policy housed within your national education policy and do you think this best serves the development of family literacy practice?
- How might an EU wide family literacy policy contribute to a more socially just EU?
The discussion will be moderated by Dr. Ann Hegarty of the National Adult Literacy Agency (NALA), Ireland. The discussion will be open from 9 October at 12:00 and will be concluded on 10 October at 17:00. Join us in the discussion by returning to this platform!
Comentario
Maths for families
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Family Literacy Supporting Family Maths
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Integrating maths and literacy
Hi Sussanah you make a very useful contribution here re the integrated nature of literacy and maths. Do you know of any specific interventions around the issue that you could share here? I think that Juliette Collier and the Campaign for Learning have done work around this issue but with a focus on family finances in response to the increase in poverty in the UK and in efforts to support families who are experiencing hardship
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Open education resources on family literacy interventions!
As a member of the editing staff, I would kindly like to direct your attention to the recently finished collection of openly available resources in the field of family literacy authored by Dr. Ann Hegarty. The OER unit addresses the policy and practical level of FL too. See chapter 2 for the policy-oriented resources.
Have a look at our curated resources for more details and references!
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Investing time to development
Thank you Ann. Certainly if there is consistency of staff it helps to build up a relationship. Some organisations have high staff turn over and we need to continue to promote. Family Literacy/Learning is new to many people, even in Ireland! Family Literacy work does require extra effort to promote and to recruit. It is well worth the effort as every class can make a difference to people's lives. We never know what bit will be useful to parents, that they will think about at home.
Yes Family Literacy is very inclusive and can be one of the few places where parents can meet up with other parents from different backgrounds, and with different aged children as well. There is always a huge amount of peer sharing and learning in groups. Parents love to learn ways to help their children, they can go home and immediately try these ideas out, building up their confidence in many ways.
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Thanks Mary for contributing
Thanks Mary for contributing these reflections. It is curious is it not that this family literacy and learning carework has such a low profile both here and in the EU? Is this related do you think to the gendered nature of the work…that is where women’s care work goes unrecognised more generally and as a consequence is unremarked, taken for granted and consequentially underesourced? Could this be a factor in this?
When you consider the amount of research that is out there (see the OER for this) and which clearly identifies FL as significant and beneficial to individuals, families and communities it is a wonder that it is not more well known. As you say we sometimes do not know the exact impact of FL on parents and their families but there is much evidence of its impact on how these programmes can transform participants learning identities in the most profound ways. Such transformation can be both empowering and revelatory….people begin to see that they can indeed learn and this in turn can open new horizons and choices which many thought they could never have envisaged previously.
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Thanks Mary for contributing
Thanks Mary for contributing these reflections. It is curious is it not that this family literacy and learning carework has such a low profile both here and in the EU? Is this related do you think to the gendered nature of the work…that is where women’s care work goes unrecognised more generally and as a consequence is unremarked, taken for granted and consequentially underesourced? Could this be a factor in this?
When you consider the amount of research that is out there (see the OER for this) and which clearly identifies FL as significant and beneficial to individuals, families and communities it is a wonder that it is not more well known. As you say we sometimes do not know the exact impact of FL on parents and their families but there is much evidence of its impact on how these programmes can transform participants learning identities in the most profound ways. Such transformation can be both empowering and revelatory….people begin to see that they can indeed learn and this in turn can open new horizons and choices which many thought they could never have envisaged previously.
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Gender issues
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FL and the construction of masculinity
Thanks Graciella. My research into the impact of the construction of masculinity on fathers engagement in FL highlighted how much gender and literacy are intertwined. Many of the men I worked with learnt early, from their families, their peers and local community that literacy activities were ‘girly’ and ‘gay’ and as such to be avoided…..this legacy impacted on their current identities. Many also spoke of being fearful of entering such a women’s space, of being judged by others and of fears about being ‘shown’ up in a public context…as such they chose to avoid making themselves vulnerable in these spaces. The story about numeracy programmes you shared may also highlight this tight relationship between gender and fathers participation in FL?
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It does, indeed!
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Whatever works :)
Whatever works’ is probably a very good motto for FL as this is really the principle on which programmes get developed in collaboration with learners.
Also I am thinking that the very fact that the numeracy programme supported dads through the door was a success that could easily be built on…. There is much evidence that many FL participants regain confidence in their learning identities and this then can support them to further learning.
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Practice in West of Ireland
Good afternoon from Ireland. I find people ask questions about how to engage parents, and wonder how this happens. What seems to work well is connecting with those who already work with parents perhaps in another area e.g. a school or a community group. Introducing yourself and the work to them and usually it is a very positive experience, as our goals are the same. Helping parents to support their children and do well in school. In Ireland our work with family learning is based within adult literacy. Parents are sensitive to helping their children at key times as well starting preschool/kindergarden, starting primary school and also when moving to second level.
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Thanks Mary for being the first to contribute to the discussion!
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Engaging families - policy perspectives
My name is Tamás Harangozó, currently working on EBSN's Capacity Building Series on Epale. I would like to add a comment regarding the policy aspect(s) of engaging families.
1. Use a 'whole family' approach to address literacy challenges
2. Focus on the creation of literate environments
3. Promote cooperation using flexible funding streams and reporting approaches
4. Link literacy and learning to other services for disadvantaged families
5. Use family literacy and learning to break the intergenerational cycle of low education level
literacy challenges
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FL contributes to EU policy goals concerning social inclusion
Thanks for pointing us all towards this excellent document Tamas. It provides very useful reflections on the value of family literacy and its important role in redressing intergenerational and educational disadvantage and inequalities. It also highlights the far reaching positive impact of FL outside of the educational context across other areas of life including for example increased well being through the reduction of social isolation which is itself an important policy concern of the EU itself.
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Welcome to this online discussion of Family Literacy
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Family Literate Environment