Improving Family Literacy Practices

Through in-home ethnographic observations of three multilingual immigrant families’ shared book reading, we identified recurring literacy practices in the home in which mothers, older siblings, and younger children participated during the reading. We found that families engaged in context-sensitive and cooperative shared reading practices, wherein decoding tended to be the focus. This practice—which we call transcultural decoding—involved multidirectional language socialization practices and occurred across languages, and older family members contributed both expertise and restrictive conceptions of reading. This work suggests the importance of (a) acknowledging the major focus on decoding during shared reading in families, and reconceptualizing that work as complex and nuanced, particularly across languages and cultures, and (b) considering siblings as cultural and linguistic mediators in family literacy practices.

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Family literacy in a low-income urban community in the Philippines

Journal of Early Childhood Literacy ◽

10.1177/1468798418766604 ◽

2018 ◽

Vol 20 (2) ◽

pp. 327-355

Author(s):

Rosarito Tatel-Suatengco ◽

Jennifer S Florida

Keyword(s):

Low Income ◽

Family Literacy ◽

Teaching And Learning ◽

Literacy Practices ◽

Environmental Influence ◽

Family Values ◽

The Philippines ◽

The Family ◽

Family Literacy Practices ◽

At Home

The growth of literacy in the Philippines is attributed to the formalization of the education system. Learning experiences from formal schooling and the home environmental influence, complement and reinforce the role of the teacher and the parent in promoting literacy. Home literacy practices which are centred on parent-child interaction can promote literacy through the sharing of information. This study examines home practices that are directly or indirectly associated with or promote family literacy. Narratives and stories of participant families about their literacy practices were gathered through naturalistic life-story interviews, observation and participation in selected outside activities. Themes were drawn from the data collected, wherein interpretative phenomenological analysis was applied in the analysis. Four themes were identified which focus on language; home strength and activities; faith, values and aspirations; and home and school connection. Languages used at home by the family serve as a springboard for family literacy, which also supports classroom instructions. Household chores and other home activities are used as a support to learn literacy concepts taught in school, such as science concepts, survival skills, hygiene and childcare. Family literacy practices are anchored in family values and aspirations that enable each family to pursue and sustain their literacy practices. Storytelling and reading are practised at home, which provides opportunities for teaching and learning among family members. Each family in this study found ways to maximize their limited resources to support the literacy of their children for better education. The findings suggest that the economic condition of the family is not a deterrent to family literacy practices. Family literacy practices depend upon the unique dynamics of each family, which are influenced by the languages used at home, household activities, family values and aspirations. Literacy practices are also related to teaching and learning activities at school.

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Researching Change and Changing the Researcher

Harvard Educational Review ◽

10.17763/haer.63.4.b336053463h71081 ◽

1993 ◽

Vol 63 (4) ◽

pp. 389-412 ◽

Cited By ~ 67

Author(s):

Concha Delgado-Gaitan

Keyword(s):

Family Literacy ◽

Mexican American ◽

Turning Point ◽

Literacy Practices ◽

Community Empowerment ◽

Research Project ◽

Literacy Activities ◽

Family Literacy Practices

In this article, Concha Delgado-Gaitan describes her experience as a researcher in Carpinteria, a predominantly Mexican-American community in California. After collecting data about family literacy practices through ethnographic observations and interviews, she began meeting regularly with parents to share her findings and solicit their input. These meetings became a turning point for Delgado-Gaitan, redirecting the focus of her research from literacy activities to the process of community empowerment as she learned from these parents about their own understanding of literacy and about their concerns regarding communication with schools. Through these meetings, the parents organized as a group, in order to demand that the school respond to their needs. The situation challenged Delgado-Gaitan to redefine her role as a researcher. After much internal debate and reflection, she decided to become involved in the empowerment of parents as an informant and facilitator. This article is the story of how this research project supported the process of community empowerment in Carpinteria, and how that process challenged the researcher to examine her own identity, to refocus her research, and to change.

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A CRITICAL DISCOURSE ANALYSIS OF FAMILY LITERACY PRACTICES: POWER IN AND OUT OF PRINT

Studies in Second Language Acquisition ◽

10.1017/s0272263106230249 ◽

2006 ◽

Vol 28 (03) ◽

Author(s):

Rachel Hodge

Keyword(s):

Discourse Analysis ◽

Critical Discourse Analysis ◽

Family Literacy ◽

Literacy Practices ◽

Critical Discourse ◽

Family Literacy Practices

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Family literacy practices and home literacy resources: An Australian pilot study

Journal of Early Childhood Literacy ◽

10.1177/1468798411416888 ◽

2011 ◽

Vol 12 (2) ◽

pp. 113-138 ◽

Cited By ~ 13

Author(s):

Susan Grieshaber ◽

Paul Shield ◽

Allan Luke ◽

Shelly Macdonald

Keyword(s):

Pilot Study ◽

Family Literacy ◽

Literacy Practices ◽

Home Literacy ◽

Literacy Resources ◽

Family Literacy Practices

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Bridging the Gap

Handbook of Research on Cultivating Literacy in Diverse and Multilingual Classrooms - Advances in Educational Technologies and Instructional Design ◽

10.4018/978-1-7998-2722-1.ch026 ◽

2020 ◽

pp. 555-576

Author(s):

Stephanie Michelle Moody ◽

Sharon D. Matthews ◽

Zohreh R. Eslami

Keyword(s):

Student Achievement ◽

Young Children ◽

Family Literacy ◽

Heritage Language ◽

Language Use ◽

Literacy Practices ◽

Literacy Skills ◽

Home Literacy ◽

Bilingual Students ◽

Family Literacy Practices

Shared readings have long been recognized as one of the most significant contributors to the development of literacy skills in young children. Shared readings are frequently found in both the home and at school, but discrepancies in how they are enacted can contribute to low student achievement. This may be particularly true for bilingual students, whose home literacy practices often involve heritage language use and/or translanguaging. This chapter provides recommendations for teachers interested in incorporating family literacy practices into their classroom shared readings. Recommendations include guidelines for building a multicultural library, tips on how to evaluate children's books for quality, steps to enacting translanguaging in shared readings, and suggestions for increasing parental involvement in the classroom.

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