Family Literacy:
Family literacy is about the ways families use literacy and language in their daily lives. It is about how families:
- learn
- use literacy to do everyday tasks
- help children develop literacy
- use literacy to maintain relationships with each other and with the community
- interact with organizations and institutions
Examples of family literacy
There are many different literacy practices used by families. Some are reading and writing activities, while others help build literacy in other ways. Here are a few examples:
Learning
A father and child walk upstairs together, and then they share a library book about numbers.
Doing everyday tasks
A mother involves a child in writing a grocery list, and then they find the items together at the store.
Helping children develop literacy
On a bus ride, a teenager plays word games with his younger sister and points out street and shop signs.
Maintaining relationships
A family reads religious texts together and talks about the meaning and relevance to their everyday life.
Learning to speak up for your child & interacting with institutions
A parent and child discuss the child's report card with the teacher.
Every family uses literacy to do different things every day. This includes families with an oral tradition as well as families that use print often.
Family Literacy begans at birth. Kyle Early Headstart Teachers encourage parents to read at home and continue on a daily basis, however it is also a part of our routine in our everyday schedules. Here are some book that are appropiate for ages birth to 1 years old that you can buy and read on a daily basis.
Special Thank you to: AFLO Action for family literacy Ontario,http://www.aflo.on.literacy.ca/famlit/dfl.htm.
My First Baby Signs
Photo: © PriceGrabber
Photo: © PriceGrabber
Photo: © PriceGrabber
Photo: © PriceGrabber