I passed!" Tina said. "My score wasn't as high as I had hoped, but at least I have it." Tina had just passed her General Equivalency Diploma (GED) exam and earned her high school diploma. She had reason to be proud of her accomplishment-Tina had been one of the 90 million American adults who have low literacy skills. For people like Tina, the lack of education makes it difficult to contribute fully to society.

Tina's story is similar to the experience of many other people who did not finish high school as teenagers. Feeling lonely and lost during early adolescence, Tina regularly skipped class by hiding in the bathrooms at her school. Interestingly, her absence was rarely noted by her teachers, so that by her mid-teens, when she should have been in high school, she had stopped attending completely. Ten years later, Tina was working part-time and was also a caring, single mother of a little girl. However, Tina wanted to do something more to improve both her self-esteem and her income earning potential. A new family literacy program in her area helped her realize her goals by providing a home visitor who encouraged and tutored her and who connected her with an adult education program in her area. Passing her GED was a major goal in her family literacy process. Tina now hopes to continue her education next year, when her daughter is in school full-time.

Family literacy is a new approach to this difficult cycle of educational and economic deprivation. Successful programs which break this cycle of poverty are comprehensive, intensive, and flexible enough to meet local and individual needs. They focus on prevention, and they work with children in the context of their families and with families in the context of their communities.

The family literacy philosophy is built upon the idea that parents and children can learn and succeed together. It looks at literacy across generations and works with children and their parents, recognizing the strengths and mutual support that a family can bring to an educational program when parents and children come to the program together.

Family literacy projects typically identify eligible families for the program as having the following characteristics:

* the family has at least one adult with a literacy-related need, such as the lack of a high school diploma, or English as the second language;
* the family has at least one child, whose age ranges from birth to seven years; and
* the family must live within a reasonable distance of the core services being provided through the project.

Eligible families who enter the project commit to participating in an integrated educational approach with four major components. These components are:

* adult education which may range from basic skills to new computer skills required for the workplace;
* early childhood education which provides developmentally appropriate experiences to assist with continuing success in education;
* parent education and support which helps adults become more effective parents; and
* parent-child interaction time which is a specific time when a child and parent learn and play together.

Another building block of the family literacy philosophy is that programmatic decisions are based on the family strengths model (Potts, 1994). This model is based on the following assumptions:

* parents are the first and most important teachers in their child's life;
* families, even those considered "at risk," have strengths and positive coping skills which they can develop;
* families can recover from crisis and adversity; and
* families can address their own needs and growth through improved literacy.

Family literacy projects also have the flexibility to implement these core components and building blocks through a combination of techniques. For example, home visitors, or specially trained educators, visit the home of the family on a weekly basis. The home visitor works to establish trust with a family which may be isolated from the community. Once trust is established, the home visitor assists the family with setting goals for adult education, the child's education, and parenting skills. The home visitor then continues to help the family with achieving those specified goals while connecting the family to the appropriate support systems within their community.

The home visiting model is frequently linked with a successful school-based program such as the Keenan model. This structured approach brings the family to the school building during regular hours, so that parents can attend an adult education class while the child attends a preschool class. Later the parent and child have lunch together and perhaps participate in a nutrition class. Parent and child separate again for afternoon activities, which may include job training or career development activities for the parent and additional preschool activities for the child.

Research on family literacy programs is still in the early stages, but the outcomes are promising. According to the National Center on Family Literacy, a followup study on the Keenan model completed one year after participation showed gains in the following areas (When families learn together, ND, pp. 4-7):

* 90 percent of children were ready for kindergarten;
* 10 percent of the parents had increased their level of employment; and
* 50 percent or more of the adults were involved in continuing education or were employed.

Other gains were reported in children, including a higher motivation for learning, improved classroom behavior, and improved self-confidence. There was also an increase in parental participation.

Karen Mundie from the Greater Pittsburgh Literacy Council is hoping for similar if not greater gains from her family literacy program. Developed in partnership with two existing preschools, the program is located in a public housing community. The preschool staff were trained in the four family literacy components as well as the techniques for home visiting. The program is funded through a capital campaign and foundation grants. Approximately 25 local families participate in the core integrated services.

Karen also points out that they were fortunate in Pittsburgh to have the support of other schools in the community. For example, on Fridays, the parents in their program volunteer at the elementary school, allowing the parents to learn valuable job training skills as well as support their school-aged child. The adults also attend a career exploration program at the local community college which examines various job-related opportunities and the education or experiences the positions required.

A fundamental principle of the Pittsburgh program is found in excellent family literacy programs across the country. In these programs, the educator respects the family, meets the family where they are, and then lets the family move forward to greater economic independence and family confidence. Through family literacy programs, the cycle of poverty can be broken, one family at a time.

More information about family literacy programs is available from:

The Greater Pittsburgh Literacy Council (GPLC), Executive Director Donald G. Black, or Karen Mundie, 100 Sheridan Sq., Pittsburgh, PA 15206.

National Center for Family Literacy, Waterfront Plaza, Suite 200, 325 W. Main St., Louisville, KY 40202, phone: 502-584-1133.

ERIC/REC, Indiana University, Smith Research Center, 2805 E. 10th St., Suite 150, Bloomington, IN 47408, phone: 800-925-7853.

Sources:

Goethel, Jan. (1996). Frontiers in family learning. National Center for Family Literacy (NCFL), Waterfront Plaza, Suite 200, 325 W. Main St., Louisville, KY 40202-4251.

Potts, Meta W. (1994). A strengths model for learning in a family literacy program. National Center for Family Literacy (NCFL), Waterfront Plaza, Suite 200, 325 W. Main St., Louisville, KY 40202-4251.

Schorr, Lisbeth. (1989). Within our reach: Breaking the cycle of disadvantage. Bantam, Double Day Dell, 1540 Broadway, New York, NY 10036.

When families learn together. (ND). National Center for Family Literacy (NCFL), Waterfront Plaza, Suite 200, 325 W. Main St., Louisville, KY 40202-4251.