The Institute for Child and Learning Support within the Foundation for Educational Services is organising a two-day National Conference on Family Literacy on September 12 and 13 at the Coastline Hotel, Salina Bay.

The conference aims to highlight the important contribution of family literacy work to national literacy provision within the context of the new National Curriculum and its related National Strategic Plan. It also seeks to expose educators in Malta to the philosophy behind, approaches to and impact of family literacy work carried out both locally and overseas.

This conference is therefore addressed to all educational administrators and educators working in the field of basic and family literacy, and to parents of young children. It aims at enabling parents to help their young children develop basic skills, while becoming learners themselves. Teachers will have the opportunity to learn how they can further develop effective home-school links and integrate similar innovative approaches in their classroom practice.

The conference will include keynote speeches by internationally renowned experts in the area of family literacy, namely Alan Wells, director of the Basic Skills Agency (BSA) of England and Wales, and Professor Sheila Wolfendale from the University of East London. Mr Wells is a pioneer of the development and implementation of family literacy programmes, while Professor Wolfendale is at the forefront of research and assessment in the field. Mr Wells's visit is co-funded by the British Council.

There will also be a number of practical workshops focusing on case studies of different forms of family literacy programmes in Malta and abroad, as well as discussions with parents who have participated in these programmes with their children.

Family literacy tutors involved in the Parent Empowerment for Family Literacy Project (PEFa.L) will take part in the conference. PEFa.L is an international project carried out with the support of the European Community in the framework of the Socrates programme.

Malta is co-ordinating this project in collaboration with institutions from Belgium, England, Italy, Lithuania, Rumania and Spain. The aim of the project is to implement family literacy programmes in these countries by adapting the Maltese family literacy experience to different European settings, forming a network of mutual supportive learning communities that lead to adult empowerment and lifelong education opportunities.

What is family literacy?

The term 'family literacy' is a complex concept that encompasses the ways parents, children and extended family members use literacy at home or in the community.

Family literacy occurs naturally in the home during the routines of daily living and includes using drawings or writing to share ideas, composing notes or letters to communicate messages, keeping records, making lists, following written directions, or simply sharing stories and ideas through conversation, reading and writing.

Such activities can be initiated purposefully by a parent, or may occur spontaneously as parents and children go about the business of their daily lives. In addition, they may also reflect the ethnic, racial or cultural heritage of the families involved.

Family literacy activities can also be initiated by outside agencies and are intended to support the acquisition and development of literacy experiences of parents, children and families. Such activities would include family story-book reading, completing homework assignments, or writing essays and reports.

Family literacy programmes integrate interactive literacy activities between parent and child; training in parenting activities; and age-appropriate education to prepare children for success in school and life experiences.

The essence of family literacy is that parents are supported as the first teachers of their children. Programmes work with individuals as well as with the family unit. While family literacy programmes provide developmental experiences for young children, their parents are offered instruction in parenting skills and parental support to enable family members to support and develop each other's learning and change patterns of family interaction.

Family literacy recognises and values literacy practices within the home. Besides seeking to develop literacy skills, family literacy work, enhances motivation, behaviour and self-confidence. Some programmes moreover build on the literacy skills of parents and lead to both access to other learning opportunities as well as to pre-employment and employment skills and opportunities.

Sometimes, family literacy programmes are an integral component of broader adult education programmes. Programmes vary in nature and scope since they work to meet the particular learning needs of the participants or the local community.

Participants in family literacy programmes include children, their parent/s, or another close family member. The term 'parent' could refer to anyone fulfilling care responsibilities usually associated with the parent of a child or children over a sustained period of time. Emerging research studies assert that children's motivation to succeed in school is influenced by the educational achievement of their parents. Cognitive science research stresses the impact of the family and social environment on cognitive development and literacy acquisition of children. Parental involvement in their children's schools influences student achievement, attendance, motivation, self-concept and behaviour.

Family literacy programmes give opportunities to those parents who normally have no or minimal contact with the school. Within a programme, parents are involved with their children in joint sessions and therefore have the opportunity to work one-to-one with their child in a supportive atmosphere. Other children in the family can also benefit from using the activities made in the joint sessions and from having a parent who is more in tune with their learning.

Family literacy is also an opportunity for parents to act as a learning role model for their children. It allows parents to engage more effectively with their child's school and empowers them with knowledge and confidence to speak to school staff on a more informed basis about their child's learning.

In adult sessions, parents can share information about their children, prepare to work with their children and understand how to help their children. In these sessions, parents can come to terms with their own experiences of school and learning and are encouraged to reflect on how their attitudes to these experiences help or hinder their children. The development of a group bond and the mutual support among the parents on the course can continue after the programme is finished.

Furthermore, family literacy opens opportunities for:

¤ voluntary work in schools;
¤ active involvement in school councils;
¤ further training both in and out of school;
¤ paid employment;
¤ strengthening of family relationships;
¤ effective time management.

In Malta

The Foundation for Educational Services decided to introduce the family literacy model in Malta due to its acknowledged effectiveness in stimulating parents to become actively involved in their child's learning. Family literacy programmes were initiated in 2001 through the introduction of Hilti clubs in a number of state primary schools. Hilti Clubs are after-school literacy support initiatives that make use of differentiated teaching methodologies within a mixed ability and family literacy context. Creative arts activities are specially designed with in-built literacy and/or numeracy as well as parent capacity building components.

Parent-focused sessions during Hilti engage parents in lively discussions on educational strategies and methodologies and encourage parents to learn and practice tools that stimulate their children to learn more effectively. Parents also join their children during each Club Hilti session in order to practice these educational tools. While focusing on their own experiences, parents acquire and strengthen their skills in managing the curriculum in the home.

Hilti Clubs currently operate in 20 community-based primary schools and have reached over 800 pupils and their families since October 2001. Ten new Hilti centres are being established and will become operational during the 2003-04 scholastic year.

Besides Hilti Clubs, the Foundation for Educational Services has developed a range of family literacy approaches through its various educational programmes such as the Nwar Service for children with critical literacy problems and their parents, the Young Writers Club and Parents' Writing Club and the ASSIST Programme.

To date, the Foundation has provided intensive specialised training to over 110 teachers taking up family literacy roles in FES programmes. FES staff are also increasingly being requested to assist in professional staff development activities and to provide in-house technical assistance to primary and secondary schools developing new literacy strategies and tools.

The National Family Literacy Conference will be an opportunity for Maltese schools hosting Hilti centres to network with schools involved in the PEFa.L project from the different European countries.

Parents, teachers and school administrators who would like to participate can contact the conference organisers on 2145-4600, 2145-5607 or on fes@gov.mt. Childcare services are being provided on request throughout the conference.

For more information, go to: www.pefalmalta.org.mt.

Juan Camilleri is a programme officer with the Foundation for Educational Services

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