Family Literacy

Exploring the links between adult education and children’s literacy

Presented to: 2006 ADEA Biennial MeetingBy: Wilna Botha, Chairperson,

Family Literacy Project, South Africa

A case study of theFamily Literacy Project,

KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa

Adult and early literacy

• Family literacy is one way of simultaneously addressing the needs of:

– The estimated 2.9 to 4.2 million South Africans who are functionally illiterate;

– The estimated 82% of young children in South Africa who do not attend pre-school.

Family literacy: Promoting a culture of reading

• The Family Literacy Project began in 2000. It facilitates seven FLP groups in deeply-rural, under-resourced mountain valleys of KwaZulu-Natal.

• Its main aim is to make “literacy a shared pleasure and a valuable skill”

• It nurtures and sustains literacy skills and a love of books in families, to promote a community-wide culture of reading.

Homes are visited

• Group members visit other families to discuss early literacy, to read to children and to pass on health messages.

Project members run three community libraries

Books are provided

• Provision of appropriate books results in families reading for pleasure.

Case study

• The case study explored the links between adult education and children’s literacy.

• To collect data, the Family Literacy Project

– ran group sessions.– conducted interviews and observations in

homes, – used questionnaires with school teachers,– encouraged group members to compile

“family books”.

Some case study findings

• Children appreciate parents’ efforts to improve their own literacy.

• Parents want their children to have a better chance of success than they had.

• Parents know they are important as role models.

Some findings

• The combination of Reflect tools; Early Literacy and Adult Literacy has been effective in reaching families.

Findings

• Adults and children who enjoy reading and books are likely to want to share this interest with the wider community.

• Home visits to neighbours are a pleasure for both adults and children.

Family books

• Family books by 64 project members revealed:– Differences in schooling between generations

(availability of money and distance to school);– Differences in roles within families (women

being overburdened);– Positive interaction between parents and

children (how books and education facilitated this).

Partnership

• The Family Literacy Project has entered into a partnership with the Media in Education Trust (MiET), to take family literacy out more widely. Family literacy will be introduced into Education Centres and surrounding clusters of schools, which are becoming “centres of care and support” for vulnerable children and their families. The programmes are mutually supportive.

Hope

• Our hope is to make literacy a shared pleasure and valuable skill for all the families in the areas in which we work.