A research study conducted in 1994/95 in the United Kingdom has drawn some interesting and thought-provoking conclusions in the area of family literacy. The study included four programs based in areas of multiple deprivation in the United Kingdom (Cardiff, Liverpool, Norfolk and North Tyneside). Each program comprised 96 hours over 12 weeks. Participants were children aged 3 to 6 years and their parents (predominantly mothers). The aims of the programs were to boost children's literacy, parents' literacy and parents' ability to help their children in school.

On entry, parents had low levels of literacy and many of their children had low development in vocabulary and emergent reading and writing. Parents worked on their own literacy, built on home literacy activities and learned how to extend the help they gave their children. Children were given intensive early years teaching, with a strong emphasis on writing and speaking, as well as reading. Parents worked with their children in joint sessions and used the strategies they had been taught for helping them.

Benefits to the children:

• those whose lack of vocabulary would leave them struggling in school fell from 54% to 31%;
• those whose low reading level would leave them struggling in school fell from 67% to 35%;
• those whose low reading level would leave them severely disadvantaged for learning fell from 24% to 9%; and
• the proportion of school-age children who had not yet made the crucial transition to writing words fell from 62% to 43%.
  

Benefits to the Parents:

• 91% of parents completed the course and attendance rates were consistently high;
• average reading test scores improved by 5% of the maximum score and the average writing score improved by 10% of the starting level; 95% of the parents attained partial or full accreditation in adult upgrading;
• 52% referred to a growth in their confidence and many reported other improvements in social skills;
• the number of parents actively involved in their children's school increased significantly;
• over 80% planned to go on studying; and
• 12 weeks after the course, 70% were actually doing a further course.

Bonus Effects:

• there were substantial increases in literacy-related home activities and these became firmly embedded in family practice;
• gains made by parents and children were at least sustained up to 9 months later and in many cases there were further improvements;
• communication between parents and children improved markedly; and
• parents reported improved communication with their children's teachers.

Follow-up Study

A follow-up study, conducted in 1997, concluded that the Family Literacy children maintained the gains they made and their parents continued to widen their participation in education and society.

Sources:

Family Literacy Works, The NFER Evaluation of the Basic Skills Agency's Demonstration Programmes. Greg Brooks, Tom Gorman, John Harman, Dougal Hutchison and Anne Wilkin. The Basic Skills Agency, London, 1996.

Family Literacy Lasts: The NFER follow-up study of the Basic Skills Agency's Demonstration Programmes, Greg Brooks, Tom Gorman, John Harmon, Dougal Hutchison, Kay Kinder, Helen Moor, Anne Wilkin, The Basic Skills Agency, London, 1997.