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SPECIAL PROJECTS -
A STATEWIDE INITIATIVE:
The Texas Family Literacy Assistance Center
Family literacy encompasses a wide variety of programs that promote the
involvement of both parents and their children in literacy enhancement
activities. It assumes that parents are the child's first and most influential
teachers. Family literacy recognizes the importance of the family context
to learning. In successful programs parents and children learn together and
enhance the lives of each other. Practices that enhance literacy of all family
members include:
- focusing on the family as a unit
- coordinating the literacy activities offered to parents and children together, and
- sharing a common understanding that a child's literacy development will benefit from
parents who are interested in advancing their own literacy.
Comprehensive Adult and Family Literacy Services
Since 1973 adult education has been administered by the Texas Education Agency.
The number of adult education programs has grown steadily. The Family Support Act of
1980 and the National Literacy Act of 1991 aided in the expansion of services. In many
programs the expanded services have included services to families.
Parental involvement has been a major component of federally funded programs for
disadvantaged children. The enactment of the Elementary and Secondary Act of 1965
(ESEA) required schools receiving the money to involve parents in the planning,
implementation, and evaluation of programs. Parent Advisory Committees (PAC) for Title
I Regular and Migrant students have provided direct literacy services to children and
indirect literacy services to parents since the late 1960's.
Newer initiatives such as Even Start have promoted the idea of direct literacy services to
children combined with direct literacy services to parents. The evolution of literacy service
to families has included the following:
- Direct literacy services to children through Title I, Migrant Bilingual, ESL Programs with indirect literacy services to parents through Parent Committees
- Direct literacy services to children and direct literacy services to parents Adult Education
- Direct literacy services to parents and children together
A critical area in family literacy is the delivery of direct literacy services to parents and
children together with a focus on congruence of instruction. The challenge is how to
provide cooperatively planned and funded programs. A linkage must be made between
adult education and programs offered to children.
Conclusion
The Texas Family Literacy Assistance Center (TFLAC) is a special project of the Texas
Education Agency Division of Adult and Community Education. The project is a joint
effort of Baylor University and Southwest Texas State University. Baylor University is the
single contact point for requesting services. The purpose of the Center is to promote the
development of family literacy programs in Texas by providing a support system for the
implementation of projects. The project is in year two of implementation. During year one
of the project, project staff developed, piloted, and published Family Literacy:
Implementation Framework for Collaboratively Planning and Delivery of Services.
This planning document has been used by organizations around the state.
The TFLAC also established a task force to advise and inform the project. The
membership is representative of all organizations that service children and their families.
A statewide seminar was conducted in September with 175 participants.
TFLAC services include the following: on-site technical assistance to explore funding
options, developing collaborations, linking Adult Education, Title I, Migrant, JTPA, SCE,
and others, curriculum development, staff development, and on-site visits by TFLAC staff
members. Training sessions are planned by TFLAC staff to meet local needs and have
included several levels of holistic math for families, reading for families, science and social
studies activities for families, assessment of the learner and program, training sessions
using job manuals for workplace literacy and AFDC recipients, and Even Start/early
childhood staff training for teachers. TFLAC's support network include the Texas Family
Literacy Task Force and Adult Education Professional Development and Curriculum
Consortium.
To access the services of TFLAC, contact Diane Browning at (800) 557-FLAC.
References
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- Making Meaning, Making Change. A guide to
participatory curriculum development for adult ESL and family literacy. Bilingual/ESL
graduate studies. Harbor Campus, MA.
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- Brizius, J., and Foster, S. (1993).
- Generation to Generation: Realizing the Promise of
Family Literacy. High/Scope Press.
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- Darling, S. and Hayes, A. E. (1989).
- Breaking the Cycle of Illiteracy: The
Kenan Family Literacy Model Program. National Center for Family Literacy. Louisville, KY.
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- Darling, S. (1988).
- Family Literacy Education: Replacing the Cycle of Failure
With the Legacy of Success. Kenan Trust Family Literacy Project. Louisville, KY.
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- Handel, R. D. (1992).
- The Partnership For Family Reading: Benefits For
Families and Schools. The Reading Teacher, (46), 2, 116-125.
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- Holt, D. D. (1992).
- Alternative Approaches to Assessment and Evaluation
in Family English Literacy Programs. California State Department of Bilingual
Education. Sacramento, CA.
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- Holt, G. D. (1988).
- Parenting Curriculum for Language MinorityParents:
Bilingual Guide. Cross Cultural Resource Center. Sacramento, CA.
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- Jongsma, K. S. (1990).
- Intergenerational Literacy. The Reading Teacher, (44), 4, 426-427.
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- Jongsma, K. S. (1990).
- Intergenerational Literacy. The Reading Teacher, (44), 4, 522-523.
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- National Center for Family Literacy. (1994).
- Newsletter: National Center
for Family Literacy. Louisville, KY.
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- Quintero, E., and Huerta-Mac'as, A. (1990).
- All in the Family: Bilingualism
and Biliteracy. The Reading Teacher, (44), 4, 306-312.
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- Quintero, E., and Huerta-Mac'as, A. (1993).
- Whole Language: Critical
Curriculum for Family Literacy. The School Community Journal, (2), 2, 45-61.
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- Smith, C. (1991).
- Family literacy: The Most Important Literacy. The
Reading Teacher, (44), 9, 700-701.
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- Strickland, D. S. (1990).
- Family Literacy: Sharing Good Books. The
Reading Teacher, (44), 4, 518-519.
 
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