Introduction

This booklet has been written to give you a rough outline of the Family Literacy Project. The project has been running very successfully for eleven weeks. The project set out, to improve literacy performance through the involvement of family members.

You will be looking at some of the steps, that I took to set up, and run the project, also included are some ideas for the future. I hope you enjoy the ups and downs of the project, and that this information leaves you more enlightened!

‘The Family Literacy Project should not be perceived in isolation, or as an end in itself, but as part of a wider picture. With partnership with parents as its main focus’

Janet Constant

My aims within the Family Literacy Project

put upon this work:

‘Inspectors must evaluate and report on….the effectiveness of the school’s partnership with parents, highlighting strengths and weaknesses, in terms of ….parents involvement with the work of the school and with their children’s work at home…the contribution which the school’s link with the community make to pupil’s attainment and personal development . Judgements should be based on the extent to which links with parents contribute to pupils’ learning…..’

The encouragement by the government for such projects is constant. There are frequent references to the beneficial role of such activities in the government strategy documents, such as The Framework For Study Support and the paper The Learning Age, and there is a whole governmental movement in this direction through, for example, the National Literacy Strategy.

Setting up the project and my plans for the future.

It was decided that the pupils would be targeted. With the aim of improving the under achievers, by improving home links and parental involvement . I clearly wrote down, the aims and objectives of the project, so that references could

be made to them in the future.

Whole school commitment and agreed policies.

Full backing was given for the project from the Headteacher and encouragement from fellow colleagues, this I felt was important, in the successful outcome of the project. To proceed further with the project, it would be helpful if other members of the staff, can be drawn into the planning of future projects. Hopefully, this would lead on to their participation, and setting up their own ‘Inspire Workshops’. I would also like to get the project on the agenda for a full staff meeting, so that any doubts may be publicly aired, and explanations given. I will also be writing the scheme into a School Policy Document, for future projects. Perhaps the scheme could be included in a School Development or Improvement Plan. For instance as a practical means to an end (improving image of school, tackling literacy, parental involvement).

Management

For the future I will give a published code of practice for pupils, outlining rules for discipline and attendance. There will also be published guidance for the adults who participate.

This followed closely to the objectives of the National Literacy scheme. Carefully outlining a set agenda for the adults lessons, children’s lessons, and these then, linking up with the joint sessions. These sessions were continually evaluated and refined at the end of each session, then adjustments made for the next session. It was very important to get everybody involved, in the planning of these lessons, as communication was essential for continuity and progression, within the project.

Monitoring

Arrangements for monitoring the progress of both adults, and children were made. We made tracking their progress, a simple process, one that didn’t involve rigorous testing procedures. These procedures were necessary on both the onset of the course, (to establish baselines), and at intervals throughout the course. In order to establish what progress was made over given periods of time, and completed sections of the course.

To launch the project it was important to run an Inspire Workshop’. We set up a spelling workshop, that involved parents helping their children, make a spelling board game. This helped

to recruit the parents and gauge there interest for the Family Literacy Project. It was really important has it showed the parents who were genuinely interested in the project. It also gave Shakila and I chance to discuss any issues that might be involved in the parents, joining the project e.g. Child care ( Details of setting up an ‘Inspire Workshop’ will be outlined in the in Family Literacy Policy). After gaining their interest, a letter of invitation was sent to the interested parents.

Outcomes of the Family Literacy Project

Factors that I felt were important, in making the course more successful.

The positive attitude of the staff – If it wasn’t for the commitment, skill, organisational ability, positive attitude and hard work of those involved, I truly believe this project wouldn’t have been so successful. It was important to also have the support of the staff, giving me support and encouragement ,they, themselves being committed to the success of the project.

The variety of work – The parents and children had to be motivated to continue with the project. This was achieved by, making sure the tasks were varied and fun. It was futile to attempt to repeat the pattern of

Problems to overcome

1. Finding suitable accommodation

This problem was made more acute because the course ran during the school day. Making access difficult to suitable accommodation. The parents were given the library to work in, which I felt was very suitable, as it gave a relaxed atmosphere and it wasn’t seen as a ‘classroom’.

The problems arose from the joint sessions, we felt the library was too small. This was compounded by the fact it didn’t really cater for the more practical, side of the sessions e.g. glue on tables. The alternative was to hold these sessions in my classroom, which turned out to be a logistical nightmare! The parents had to be out of the library on time, to enable my remaining class, and supply teacher to trade rooms. This

resulted in the parents feeling that they were being rushed, and having to enter a ‘classroom’. At first the parents felt really intimidated and were reluctant to enter the classroom, but that was soon overcome, and now feel really at home, and just wander in. In the future, suitable accommodation will have to be carefully reviewed.

Childcare facilities

At the start of the course the parents were given an invitation to join the project, in this invitation they were asked if childcare needed to be provided for them, every one declined the offer. Therefore no more thought, was given to this matter.

Then two parents brought their children, when asked why they hadn’t mentioned it before, they said they thought it would stop them, being allowed on the course. At the workshop they were clearly told, that this, would not be a problem. They were also told at the workshop, that if they did need someone to look after their child/children they could ask a member of their family to do this, and we would even pay for it.

We were told that the Standard’s Fund money would cover this, but they changed their mind, and said that Adult Education, were now responsible for childcare, which in turn they informed us they were not. As you can imagine we are not very happy with this situation .

In the future we will have to think very carefully, about whether or not we provide childcare for the parents.

3. Obtaining suitable cover.

As this is a very school- specific problem it is very difficult to come up with a solution. The issue, was the availability of a suitable person at the required time. It is important that we take such a potential difficulty into consideration before the next scheme starts, so cover is available when needed.

Conclusions from this project

I felt that there is immense value in the involvement of families, in the learning process. It was important at the start of the course to tell the parents how important, they were to their children’s education. Bringing in adults from the family, and working together to tackle difficulties. I feel we can begin to offer pupils who have problems ways, to remedy these weaknesses with positive support, under a watchful and familiar eye.

The project showed how the attitudes of the parents were reflected by the children. It was important for us to look at the attitudes of the parents and install confidence. This did work, because one of the parents actually stood up and

read in Urdu, not just to our group, but to the whole Small Heath Library ( on one of our visits).

I also felt these parents would not have attended the course, if we had asked them to come and learn. They were asked to come and help their children learn, and that was a much better, and more attractive invitation. The key was to give them really helpful things to do with their children :

Making games for their children

Listening to their children read

Playing a learning game, and learning to

play it themselves

4. Working on a small- scale project with

their children e.g. Story bags

I found this the most natural way to help them progress from reluctant, to participant.

The children were not allowed to come to the sessions, unless their parent or carer was there. This worked extremely well, because the children hated missing the sessions, it made them feel really important to attend. Sometimes this worked to well, has we did have one parent come to a session, who three day previously had suffered a heart attack. On another occasion we had a parent who hobbled to the session, with a

badly sprained ankle, who had to be driven home after because she couldn’t walk.

Furthermore, as a school if we are able to establish a whole-school culture of parents as

partners and educators. That all our teachers give parents and cares the message, that the skills they have already shown in their work with their children, and their continuing input, is valued, valid, and welcome, then the family element in the project will be more genuine, and even more successful in the future.

I have really enjoyed the Family Literacy Project, and really want to thank all those people, that have worked hard, to make the project so successful.