Tier II: Focused practices: Tools Family Literacy Program

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Tier II Focused practices ToolsFamily
Literacy Program

• A family literacy program connecting school and
  home. (Morrow Young 1997)
• Literacy programs are jointly implemented to
  actively engage parents and teachers in promoting
  childrens literacy
• Intent is to increase the effectiveness of the
  home-school link to improve literacy outcomes
• Program created to heighten the awareness of
  parents, children and teachers concerning the
  role they ALL play together in the literacy
  development of children.

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Tier 2 Targeted Group Intervention-Family
Literacy Program

• Evidence based intervention designed to
• Meet the needs of a TARGET GROUP
• Shared Needs
• Provides TOOLS to parents
• This facilitates the equality of the
  partnership
• Parents become skilled partners who have the
  tools needed to SHARE in the responsibility for
  student learning outcomes
• Provides KNOWLEDGE and SKILLS to parents
• Helps support parents as knowledgeable PARTNERS
  in the collaboration process
• Provides for clear measurements of outcomes
• Shared credit for goal attainment
• Shared investment in student learning achievement

See FLP Handout 1
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Intervention Procedures
School Based Literacy Program Family Literacy Program
Available 3-5 times/week Teachers model reading activities to increase interest Teachers lead discussions from readings Use/practice Very Own Words Teachers lead literal and interpretive discussions Stories Teachers Model Highlights for Children magazine Activities Each parent receives shopping bag of materials story board, Literacy program handbook, Highlights for Children magazine. Parents read to and with child, help child record Very Own Words and use Highlights for Children. Parents attend literacy center time at school, monthly group with other parents and 11 with mentor.
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RESULTS Improved literacy skills

• Children who received the home AND school
  intervention outscored the children who received
  the school intervention only on Story
  retelling, Story rewriting, probed comprehension,
  CTBS reading and teacher ratings or reading and
  writing ability and interest.

Outcome Assessment Family Gp Pre Test Family Gp Post Test Control Gp Pre Test Control Gp Post Test
Story Retelling 8.5 11.0 7.7 8.9
Story rewriting 3.7 9.1 2.7 .8
Comprehension 19.6 23.3 17.8 19.8
CTBS Reading 50.6 60.1 45.4 51.6
Teacher Rating 2.4 4.1 2.8 2.9
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Results Increased Practice

• Parents who implemented the home intervention
  reported reading and writing more often with
  their children and choosing to do more things
  with them in general.
• ACTIVITIES CHOSEN TO DO AFTER SCHOOL

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Results Attitude and Motivation

• Parents who took part in the Family Literacy
  Program reported
• Feeling more comfortable coming to their childs
  school
• More self-confident about being able to help
  their child
• They learned to be more patient with their child
• Children reported
• When I need help someone is there to help me
• Lots of people help moms, dads, grandmas,
  brothers
• Its fun to read

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Findings/Implications

1. Children report that they enjoy working with
   their parents.
2. Providing parents with the TOOLS to help
   effectively increased both motivation, and
   achievement.
3. Tools necessary include both materials AND
   instructions/modeling on how to use the
   materials.
4. Parents were enthusiastic about the program
   because the activities were fun, unlike typical
   homework.
5. Teachers reported they had not previously
   realized the importance or the effectiveness of
   parent involvement.

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Problems/challenges

1. Consistent parent attendance in the program was a
   challenge. This was particularly true for single
   parent families.
2. Taking on increased responsibility was difficult
   for many parents, even though they were
   interested.

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Determinants of overall success

1. Collaborative effort of parents, teachers ,and
   children working together with mutual respect
   for each other.
2. Activities for the home were FUN and educational.
3. Activities were SENSITIVE to INTERESTS of parents
   and DIVERSITY of their backgrounds.
4. Activities such as storytelling respected oral
   traditions.
5. The magazine Highlights for Children was
   non-threatening and non-school like.
6. Strong connections between the school and home.

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Discussion Activity

• See FLP Handout 1 Research Summary Family
  Literacy
• Discussion Activity
• Form groups of 4-6
• Review the research Summary
• Discuss the key features of this research and
  identify the following
• Which features of this evidence based practice
  could be applied in your school, given the
  resources you have now?
• What are the challenges or barriers you would
  have to overcome to implement a similar program
  in your school?

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References

• Morrow L. M., Young J. (1997) A family literacy
  program connecting school and home effects on
  attitude, motivation, and literacy achievement.
  Journal of Educational Psychology, 89, 736-742