Supporting English Language Learners Through Family Literacy Services

What are Family Literacy Services?

Head Start and Early Head Start programs are committed to helping parents contribute to their children’s success. By focusing on the literacy of parents and of their children at the same time, family literacy services provide an effective strategy to help parents accomplish this. Family literacy services are mandated by the Head Start Act of 1998 and identified specifically in 1304.40(e)(4)(i)&(ii) of the Head Start Program Performance Standards. However, elements of family literacy can be seen throughout the Program Performance Standards because the philosophies of Head Start and family literacy are so similar. In fact, family literacy services impact on the entire range of positive child outcomes described in the Head Start Child Outcomes Framework.

For the last five years, The National Center for Family Literacy (NCFL) has provided training and technical assistance and other resources to support the legislative requirements and the implementation of the Program Performance Standards related to family literacy. Family literacy services are multi-focused and inter-related. They include:

• parenting education for family members
• child development information for program staff
• parent-child activities and experiences
• adult education at all levels

These services may be delivered directly through the Head Start or Early Head Start program or in collaboration with community partners. Family literacy services, supported by the resources of the NCFL, reach out to all parents and children in Head Start. They can address many needs of families whose home language is not English or who may have recently immigrated. Family literacy services are an important link between families, program staff, and local communities. More information about the NCFL is available at www.famlit.org.

Willa Choper Siegel is a Program Specialist, Education Branch, Head Start Bureau. T: 202-205-4011; E: wsiegel@acf.hhs.gov

Barry M. Gary is the Director of the Head Start Family Literacy Project at the National Family Literacy Center, Louisville, KY. T: 502-584-1133; E: bgary@famlit.org