A mother in D.C. takes her child to Kindergarten, her baby to child care, and settles in for a workshop on parenting toddlers—all in the same school. Parents in a hospital waiting room in Seattle listen as a volunteer reads to their daughter, who is waiting for a check-up. In a New York prison, a young mother practices reading Where the Wild Things Are, getting ready for her child's visit.

Bedtime stories, school and library story hours, and programs like these are all examples of family literacy. But what, exactly, does that mean?

Pam Gersh, public relations consultant for the National Center for Family Literacy, defines it simply. "Family literacy is about parents and children learning together," she says.

Family literacy looks different across the country. Depending on the communities they serve, family literacy programs may be formal or informal. Some families practice family literacy without even knowing it—reading to a child or helping him or her with homework counts. While we generally think of schools or libraries, states and private agencies have created programs in hospitals, clinics, and community centers—programs are even emerging in prisons and correctional facilities in several states.

"Bringing together what used to be separate entities—early childhood education and adult education—has made a difference in terms of success rates for both children and adults," says Gersh. "Combining the two also helps break intergenerational cycles of illiteracy. Families learn best together."

Evidence suggests she's right. A 1997 Kent State study finds that children's attendance and performance in school is measurably improved when their parents show interest and involvement. The National Center for Family Literacy reports that kids enrolled in family literacy programs made developmental gains at least three times greater than would have been expected based on their pre-enrollment rate of development.

Parents' reading, writing and math skills—and even knowledge and confidence in parenting options and child development—also increase. And the programs can help break cycles of poverty and welfare dependence for the whole family. In fact, according to the National Center for Family Literacy, 51 percent of adults participating in family literacy programs earned their GED or the equivalent, and 43 percent became employed, compared with 14 percent before enrolling.

Helping Communities from Within
Three years ago, Tiblez Beranhme didn't speak enough English to grocery shop or ask for directions in her own city. She relied on help from her husband, her friends and co-workers at the D.C. deli where she worked. But it turns out that her 2-year old son, Nahome, was the biggest help of all.

"I wanted to enroll him in Head Start," she says now, in strong English delivered with the rhythm of her African background. "A friend told me about it. When I brought him, I could barely tell them why I was there. They told me about family literacy, and helped me register for the program."

Her son is now in Kindergarten, and she helps him with his homework and regularly volunteers in his school. All thanks to a federal family literacy program called Even Start that integrates early childhood education, adult literacy and parenting classes.

Like most structured family literacy programs, the D.C. Public Schools (DCPS) Head Start Toyota Family Literacy Program follows federal Even Start guidelines centering on four main components: early childhood education, parenting classes, adult education and parent-child interaction. The program links with Head Start to address the needs of the whole family, and get everyone reading and learning together.

"We learn about grammar and American culture and history, and have workshops on how to handle your child at different ages, and how to make your family warm, healthy and happy," says Beranhme. "The support is wonderful. They ask us to have an open relationship with them about family, jobs, everything."

Information about DCPS Head Start Toyota Family Literacy Program is spread through social service agencies, churches, and word of mouth. Once they've enrolled, parents take workshops on topics that impact the family, ranging from early child development to alcohol abuse and STDs. There is even computer training.

"I can write a resume on my computer," says Beranhme. "I use the Even Start computer room. You can go anytime and they open it. It's free. Right now, they are teaching us to use the Internet."

Family literacy Programs, like Even Start, often offer special supports to particularly vulnerable families. For those with language barriers, programs like Seattle's Harborview Literacy Program work out of county hospitals to help parents get and understand health information, and to get parents involved in all aspects of their children's care. At Harborview, volunteers meet families in the waiting room and suggest activities and ways to help parents use reading to stimulate children's emotional and brain development.

Mothers in prison face unique and often daunting challenges. New programs in Washington, D.C. and New York work to reunite incarcerated parents with children around literacy. The D.C. Family Literacy Project, sponsored in part by Georgetown University, uses children's books to help mothers connect to their kids and help improve their own reading skills—and lives. According to the National Institute for Literacy, inmates who improve their literacy skills are less likely to return to prison.

Easing Transitions
Back in her corner of D.C., Tiblez Beranhme talks about the impact DC Even Start has made on her life. "The teachers are great, and they help with everything. They bring food and juice for the parents. They have even brought clothes for people who need them." Her son, she says, made the transition to Kindergarten so easily because of his love for Head Start. And she will be making a transition soon, too: in November she begins work as a teacher's aid with Head Start.

"From the first day, when I saw my teacher's face, smiling and so friendly, I felt comfortable. It makes learning and working together easier. It's like having a bigger family, for all of us."

Learn More
For more information on family literacy and to learn how you can get involved in your community or for your family, check out these sites.

• Connect for Kids state page directories include literacy services.

• The National Center for Family Literacy is an excellent place for information.

• The Family Literacy Foundation is a colorful site loaded with links and information.

• Parents as Teachers offers tips and ideas to help parents engage kids from birth to 36 months, and get them ready to learn.

• The Ohio Literacy Resource Center and Kent State University have produced an extensive Family Literacy Resource Notebook. It was published last year under a grant from the U.S. Department of Education's Even Start Program.

For more information on the Harborview Literacy Program in Seattle, Washington, contact Kristina Anderson, Program Coordinator, at 206-731-6621. For information on DCPS Head Start Toyota Family Literacy Programs, e-mail Peggy Minnis, Program Coordinator.

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Caitlin Johnson is staff writer at Connect for Kids.