The Role of Family Literacy Programs in the School Success or Failure of African American Families and Children

2010 ◽  
pp. 184-202
Author(s):  
Patricia Edwards
Keyword(s):  
African American ◽  
Family Literacy ◽  
School Success ◽  
Literacy Programs ◽  
African American Families ◽  
Family Literacy Programs ◽  
American Families

scholarly journals Family Literacy Programs in Qatar: Teachers’ and Parents’ Perceptions and Practices

2017 ◽  
Vol 7 (1) ◽  
pp. 283
Author(s):  
Fatima Al-Maadadi ◽  
Fathi Ihmeideh ◽  
Maryam Al-Falasi ◽  
Chris Coughlin ◽  
Tamader Al-Thani
Keyword(s):  
Early Literacy ◽  
Family Literacy ◽  
Literacy Learning ◽  
Literacy Programs ◽  
Strong Positive Correlation ◽  
The Family ◽  
Family Literacy Programs ◽  
Children's Literacy ◽  
Teachers And Parents

The importance of the role of the family in the development of children’s early literacy has been widely recognized. Therefore, schools have frequently attempted to establish programs that help families promote their children’s literacy learning. This study explored early childhood teachers’ and parents’ perceptions about family literacy programs in which they got involved. It also examined practices used by teachers and parents to promote children’s literacy learning as well as to support the role of the family in the development of literacy. The sample included all teachers and parents who participated in the family literacy programs in two independent preschool settings in Qatar. A total of 16 teachers and 156 parents completed the self-reported questionnaires. Moreover, interviews with 10 teachers and 20 parents were conducted. Results indicated that teachers’ and parents’ perceptions and practices of family involvement programs were ranged from high to fairly moderate. A strong positive correlation was found between parents’ perceptions of family literacy programs and their practices, while teachers’ perceptions were not correlated with their practices. In light of the study findings, implications for expanding family literacy programs are described.

“Give a Brotha a Break!”: The Experiences and Dilemmas of Middle-Class African American Male Students in White Suburban Schools

2012 ◽  
Vol 114 (5) ◽  
pp. 1-26 ◽  
Author(s):  
Beverly M. Gordon
Keyword(s):  
African American ◽  
Middle Class ◽  
African American Male ◽  
Suburban Schools ◽  
African American Families ◽  
Male Students ◽  
African American Male Students ◽  
Suburban Communities ◽  
American Families

Background/Context Today, in the era of the first African American president, approximately one third of all African Americans live in suburban communities, and their children are attending suburban schools. Although most research on the education of African American students, particularly males, focuses on their plight in urban schooling, what occurs in suburban schools is also in need of examination. Purpose/Focus of Study This research focused on the lived experiences of 4 middle-class African American male students attending affluent White suburban schools. Through vignettes focusing on their various experiences and recollections, this study provides a preliminary snapshot, part of a larger study, of the schooling environments in the life stories of middle-class Black suburban youth. Research Design Qualitative methodology was used to explore the life histories of the 4 African American males. Each student participated in a tape-recorded interview to examine what it meant to grow up in White upper-middle-class suburban communities and to matriculate within suburban district schools from elementary through high school. Findings/Results The salient themes that emerged from the rich, interactive conversations and dialoguing address issues related to disillusionment and resilience; the presence or absence of racism; academic pressures; social bonding and identity development in racialized social and academic settings; and the gatekeeping role of athletics. Conclusions/Recommendations Suburban education may not be the panacea that African American families had hoped. The socioeconomic status of African American families who live in affluent White suburban communities may not be enough to mitigate against the situated “otherness” that Black students—in this case, males—experienced in affluent White suburban schools. More research is needed to understand the positionality of Black male students in suburban schools; relationships between suburban Black adolescent males and females; school life beyond athletics; the role of the family and community in combating racism and otherness; and how student agency can be a force for change.

Toward a Social-Contextual Approach to Family Literacy

1989 ◽  
Vol 59 (2) ◽  
pp. 165-182 ◽  
Author(s):  
Elsa Roberts Auerbach
Keyword(s):  
Family Literacy ◽  
School Success ◽  
Cultural Practices ◽  
Literacy Programs ◽  
Contextual Approach ◽  
Refugee Families ◽  
Family Literacy Programs ◽  
Children's Literacy ◽  
Definition Of ◽  
Immigrant And Refugee

The increasing realization that family members can contribute to children's literacy development has given birth to family literacy programs designed to support immigrant and refugee families' participation in their children's education. Elsa Auerbach critically analyzes those family literacy programs that focus on teaching parents to do school-like activities in the home and to assist children with homework. She contends that the theoretical stance of these programs is not based on sound current research. Furthermore, she argues that in practice these programs function under a new version of the "deficit hypothesis," which assumes that the parents lack the essential skills to promote school success in their children. The author proposes a broader definition of family literacy that acknowledges the family's social reality and focuses on the family's strengths. As an alternative framework to program design, the author presents a social-contextual approach in which community concerns and cultural practices inform curriculum development.

The Role of Private Adoption Agencies in Facilitating African American Adoptions

2005 ◽  
Vol 86 (4) ◽  
pp. 533-540 ◽  
Author(s):  
T. Chedgzsey Smith-McKeever ◽  
Ruth G. McRoy
Keyword(s):  
African American ◽  
African American Families ◽  
Adoption Process ◽  
Public Agencies ◽  
Child Welfare Agencies ◽  
Private Agency ◽  
Private And Public ◽  
Welfare Agencies ◽  
American Families

The authors compare a sample of African American families who adopted from two private African American agencies in California with a sample of African American families who adopted from public California child welfare agencies. Findings show clear distinctions between the private and public adopters. The authors also present results from a questionnaire that asks about the adoption process and the families' adoptive history. Strikingly, 70% of the private agency adopters had attempted to first adopt through (primarily) public agencies, and the majority of those had been unsuccessful. Nearly 90% of the families who responded to a question of how important a private African American adoption agency was in their decision to adopt indicated that it was very important or important.

Capturing Context: The Role of Social Support and Neighborhood on the Psychological Well-Being of African American Families

2019 ◽  
Vol 3 (1) ◽  
pp. 70-94
Author(s):  
Amittia Parker ◽  
Angela Blackwell
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Social Support ◽  
African American ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Neighborhood Context ◽  
African American Families ◽  
Health Concern ◽  
Psychological Well Being ◽  
American Families

BackgroundMental health is a serious public health concern that is uniquely devastating for African American families.ObjectiveThis study systematically critiques the body of work documenting the mediating role of social support and neighborhood context on the psychological well-being of African American families.MethodsThis review used the PRISMA multistate process.FindingsSeveral important findings are drawn from this study: a) social support and neighborhood context shape psychological well-being, b) existing studies are limited in capacity to capture context despite having contextualized frameworks, c) African centered theory is missing.ConclusionsSocial support and neighborhood context matter. Future researchers must employ methods to capture this context and the link to mental health in African American communities where disproportionate risks exist.

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