Family Literacy: A Reciprocal Approach

1
Family Literacy A Reciprocal Approach

• Weaving together the dimensions of family
  literacy to positively impact the relationship
  between families and schools.

National Title I Directors Meeting January 23,
2002 John Paul Lapid, Basha Millhollen and Tamaye
Ota
2
The Goals of this Session

• For educators to make use of what families bring
  to the learning situation as potential building
  blocks for literacy development. (Strickland,
  1996)
• To unravel assumptions and encourage strong
  learning contexts respectful of the lived
  experiences and goals of parents, children and
  other family members. (Gadsden, 1995)

3
This session will focus on the research and
positions of

• First Lady Laura Bush
• Dorothy Strickland
• Dr. Susan B. Neuman
• Catherine Snow
• Vivian Gadsden

4
Laura Bush on Family Literacy
. . . just as children should be reading more, so
should entire families be reading more. Clearly,
adult literacy goes hand-in-hand with childrens
literacy. Literate adults can do a better job of
meeting the daily needs of their families. And
parents and other adults are important role
models. They are instrumental in helping children
develop an appreciation for reading.
5
According to Dorothy Strickland
Family literacy is in the process of redefining
itself. This process is both healthy and natural,
and should not be construed as a refutation of
existing practice. Rather, it should be viewed as
an opportunity to engage in the thoughtful
reflection and examination needed to improve and
extend existing efforts and to make the best use
of available resources.
6
How might this transition impact the traditional
school setting?

• We are moving from a transmission process to a
  social construction - I transmit to you vs. We
  build together.
• We must reexamine our existing programs and their
  purposes.
• We must commit ourselves to understanding the
  social and cultural contexts in which the
  learners we serve live and develop.
• We must conceptualize learning and teaching as
  reciprocal processes.

7
In addition, Dr. Susan Neuman adds
Efforts to impose particular literacy practices
on families are bound to be unsuccessful.
Instead, instruction must begin with the
learners social reality, providing the context
for individuals to engage in activities in which
written language is constructed and used. Second,
learners acquire literacy practices in
collaborative settings in which the collective
knowledge of participants develops through
sharing and dialogue.
8
What might this type of instruction look like in
a family literacy program?

• C.A.R.E. Club Family Reading Parties in Lompoc,
  CA Tamaye Ota
• The Beauty of Oral Traditions Majuro, Marshall
  Islands John Paul Lapid

9
Catherine Snow further states
Activities which promote literacy as social
practice or focus on the need for rich oral
language interactions are necessary to support
childrens development of the full range of
literacy skills.
10
Critical Implications According to Vivian Gadsden

• Issues of race, class, and culture are central to
  family literacy.
• The impact of racial and cultural factors as well
  as life experiences frame the ways that learners
  value and use literacy.
• The importance of including family members and
  recasting them into appropriate curricula that
  engage and motivate family members.

11
Guidance from Vivian Gadsden
People who consider themselves black Americans
may be of continental African, Caribbean, or
African American heritage they may be native
speakers of Spanish, French, English, or
different African languages or dialects they may
share common histories but have different
traditions and familial expectations. What most
may have in common, however - as is true of
Hispanics, Asian Americans, American Indians, and
European Americans is a core of common examples
of how others respond to them in school, work, or
social settings.
12
Guidance from Vivian Gadsden continued
That is, black men may be feared Hispanics, even
those who are native born, may be treated as
limited English speaking immigrants Asian
American students, desperately needing
educational support, may not receive it because
of a perception that they are all good students
and European Americans may be considered racist
even when the label does not apply. The point is
that racial, cultural, class, and social issues
are complex for all people across all ethnic
groups and are not the natural preserve of people
of color.
13
Reflective Dialogue
In dyads, read and reflect on Gadsdens previous
comments about the impact of assumptions on our
expectations for interactions with the parents of
our students. What impact might this view have on
existing family literacy programs in traditional
school settings?
14
Steps toward weaving together the dimensions of a
reciprocal family literacy plan

• 1. Deepen personal knowledge through research.
• 2. Set a timeline for sharing/applying new
  learnings.
• 3. Determine who would be responsible for leading
  the investigative group.
• 4. Set benchmarks for designing a plan.

15
If anything, take this away
Family literacy classrooms must be settings in
which teachers and students demonstrate mutual
respect for the knowledge and experiences that
each brings into the classroom, and developed
upon the premise that teaching and learning are
reciprocal activities within each teacher, there
is a learner, and within each learner, there is a
teacher.