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Updates on State Initiatives
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The First Lady’s Family Literacy Initiative for Texas
2007-2008 Grant Program Accomplishments
by Emily Moore, Pat Peebler, and Harriet Vardiman Smith
The First Lady’s Family Literacy Initiative for Texas, a program of The Barbara Bush Texas Fund for Family Literacy, is a statewide family literacy initiative designed to complement important school reform efforts at the PreK-3 grade levels. Laura Bush launched the Initiative in 1996 while serving as First Lady of the State of Texas. Since that time, the Initiative has awarded over $3 million to 128 programs across the state. Grantees have included school districts, community colleges, universities, charter schools, pediatric medical clinics, Head Start and Even Start programs, community-based organizations, libraries, and prison programs. The money for this Initiative is raised at the Barbara Bush Foundation’s annual fundraisers, A Celebration of Reading, held in Houston and Dallas.
Laura Bush serves as Honorary Chair of The First Lady’s Family Literacy Initiative for Texas. “A child who can read is a child who can succeed in school and in life. Parents demonstrate by participation and example that reading is a joy and books are treasures,” said Mrs. Laura Bush. “The impact these family programs have cannot be measured simply by the number of participants, but more accurately by the depth of change and lasting impact in communities across Texas.” For the family literacy seed grant programs funded each year in Texas, technical assistance is provided by Emily Moore of the Texas Center for the Advancement of Literacy and Learning at Texas A&M University. Pat Peebler administers the Initiative for The Barbara Bush Texas Fund for Family Literacy.
The grants are awarded to family literacy programs that focus on reading instruction for both parents and their children, and provide structured time for parents and children to read and learn together. In the 2007-2008 program year that recently concluded, grants of $50,000 each were awarded to eight programs. Following is a brief summary of the accomplishments of those eight programs in the past year.
- AVANCE-Austin, Texas – The AVANCE program brought family literacy to a rural area with few resources. Grant funds were used to hire a full time ESL teacher for parents. The AVANCE curriculum features a unique toy making component in which parents are shown how to make a simple toy that relates to a children’s book. Families receive the book and parents try the activity at home. These experiences were fun and motivated everyone in the family to get involved.
- Deer Park Independent School District, Deer Park, Texas – This program used grant funds to hire an Early Childhood Literacy Specialist and to provide twice monthly “Reading Party Workshops” hosted by education majors at the University of Houston-Clear Lake. These workshops featured activities relating to a children’s book, which was given to each family for their home library. The intensity of the Deer Park program (fifteen hours per week) enabled students to accumulate a large number of instructional hours. Twenty-six adults attended more than 100 hours and half of those attended over 400 hours. This program was successful because of the case management approach and the support services they provided in a positive and motivating environment.
- Judson Independent School District, San Antonio, Texas – Judson ISD built a new family literacy center and grant funds were used to purchase equipment and hire staff. Families were provided with a full service family literacy program which became a vital part of the surrounding neighborhood.
- Richardson Family Literacy Center, Richardson, Texas – The Richardson program hired additional personnel and purchased Parenting for Academic Success, an adult literacy/parenting curriculum developed by the National Center for Family Literacy (NCFL) in collaboration with the Center for Applied Linguistics and K. Lynn Savage. Training in the curriculum by NCFL was also provided. Not only were parents and children able to improve their language skills, but they also reported that reading with their children in the evenings became their favorite activity.
- Sisterhood of Faith in Action, Houston, Texas – Located in an urban area of Houston, this program used grant funds for additional staff to offer families a comprehensive literacy experience which was unique in the area. It was instrumental in bringing parents into the elementary school where they learned to become advocates for their children. Parents and children thrived in the safe and supportive environment.
- Vickery Meadow Learning Center, Dallas, Texas – This very innovative program collaborated with the Dallas Children’s Theater to involve families in Curtains Up on Literacy. Actors visited the school and led families in activities relating to a well-known children’s book. Families attended the play at the theater and afterwards went backstage. The actors provided the parents and children with props and costumes so that they could create their own version of the play.
- Reach Across Houston, Houston, Texas – The program used grant funds to hire staff and provide adult ESL and early childhood education classes. In addition to literacy instruction, families were provided guest speakers on a variety of topics such as nutrition, child safety and legal issues.
- Communities in Schools, Austin, Texas – Grant funds were used to hire additional teachers in this program. A unique feature allowed parents to visit their child’s classroom several times a week to observe and help with literacy activities. These activities could then be replicated at home. These experiences in the classroom encouraged parents to become involved in school activities and build relationships with the early childhood teachers.
For more information on The First Lady’s Family Literacy Initiative for Texas, including the ten 2008-2009 grant programs, visit the Initiative’s Website.
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