Shay Kraley, Family Literacy Director Colleen Alles, Family Literacy Coordinator

1. Growing Readers through
Family Literacy
Colleen Alles & Shay Kraley

2. Literacy Center of West Michigan
Colleen Alles,
Head Start for Kent County partnerships
Shay Kraley,
Grand Rapids Public Schools & Godwin Heights
partnerships
Adult Tutoring Family
Literacy
Community
Literacy
Initiative
Customized
Workplace
English
Iglesias de
Esperanza
One-on-one
tutoring for adults
in language skills.
Occurs weekly at
local libraries.
Partnerships with
Head Start and
schools.
Coalition uniting
agencies to
improve literacy
for all ages.
Group classes and
business services
for adults in
language and
employability.
Language
instruction to
Spanish-speaking
churches and
clergy.

3. The Impact of Adult Low Literacy

Thinking globally
*Statistics collated by Project Read

4. The Impact of Adult Low Literacy
 Thinking nationally

5. The Impact of Adult Low Literacy

Thinking locally:
21% of adults in Grand
Rapids are low literate.
14% of adults in Kent
County are low literate.

6. The Impact on the Family
• According to the NCFL, low family income and a
mother’s lack of education are the two biggest
risk factors that hamper a child’s early learning
and development.

7. The Impact on the Family
• If a third-grader is not reading at grade-level by
the end of third grade, they are at risk of:
• Remaining poor readers through high school
• Having low self-esteem and lack of motivation to
learn
• Dropping out of high school
• Not attending college
Limited education and low literacy are
intergenerational cycles that are
very difficult to break.

8. Parental Engagement is Crucial
• When parents are involved, students have:
• Higher grades, test scores, graduation rates
• Better school attendance
• Increased motivation
• Better self-esteem
• Lower rates of suspension
• Decreased use of drugs and alcohol
• Fewer instances of violent behavior
*National Parent Teacher Association

9. Parent
Education
Parent
Time
Children’s
Education
Parent
and Child
Together
(PACT)
National Center for Family Literacy

10. LCWM’s Family Literacy Programs
Partnership
with
GRPS/GHPS
Partnership
with
Head Start Parent
Education
Parent
Time
Children’s
Education
Parent
and Child
Together
(PACT)
Weekly ELL classes at
child’s school
Weekly tutoring in
libraries
Time within the
Family Nights
Provided by
Head Start teachers
Monthly Family Nights
1 hour/week within the
ELL classroom
Provided by classroom
teachers
Monthly Family Nights

11. LCWM’s Family Literacy Programs
Family Literacy – Head Start
2011-12 Achievements
• 90% of all adult learners
made language gains, 100%
of all children made literacy
gains, and 70% of parents
increased involvement with
HS.
• 100% of parents are more
involved in pre-literacy
activities with their children.
Family Literacy –
GRPS/GHPS
2011-12 Achievements
• 79% of all adult learners
made language gains, 61%
of all children met reading
growth targets, and 53% of
parents increased
involvement with schools.
• 78% of parents are more
involved in literacy activities
with their children.

12. Incorporating Family Literacy in
Your Work
 Build relationships with parents
 Hold recurring family events
 Build a family literacy-rich environment
 Offer Parent Time
 Provide book giveaways
 Create family newsletters w/ hands-on family literacy
activities

13. Identifying Low Literate Parents
 Gives excuses for not reading:
 “I forgot my glasses”
 “I don’t have time to read that right now”
 Takes a long time or appears confused when given
something to sign or read.
 Becomes agitated or anxious when given something
to sign or read.
 Asks to take materials home to read or fill out.
 Depends on others for reading and writing.
 Avoids situations which require reading.
 Misses appointments or gets dates and times mixed
up.

14. Working with Low Literate Parents
 In printed material:
 Use larger, simpler font
 Simplify your language
 Use bullet points
 Highlight important points
 Provide support:
 Reminder calls
 Resources
 Remove personal bias

15. Growing Readers in Low Literate
Homes
 Teach parents how to:
 Share books with their children
 Create literacy-rich home environments
 Model literate behaviors and incorporate literacy into
daily routines
 Access free family resources in the community
 Have conversations with their children
 Learn about different types of children’s books to use

17. Colleen Alles,
459-5151, ext. 13
calles@literacycenterwm.org
Shay Kraley,
459-5151, ext. 26
skraley@literacycenterwm.org