National Family Literacy Month 2016

We at the National Center for Families Learning have always struggled to boil down our day-to-day work to one sentence, even one paragraph. That’s because family literacy doesn’t just come in the form of a parent and child reading a book together. It’s a teacher making home visits; an intensive four-component program; a library hosting a science-themed summer camp for families; a community-based organization providing parents and children the tools, resources, and guidance to gain new skills, knowledge, and a sense of community. It’s linking together stakeholders, neighbors, and services to create community coalitions to increase literacy levels and advocating on Capitol Hill for family engagement legislation.

This National Family Literacy Month — from success stories and free resources to professional opinions and ways to get involved — we’re going to define and share the many facets and faces of family literacy and learning. We hope to expand your understanding of what it means to engage families in learning.

During the first week of November, we’ll showcase what family literacy looks like in the home. In the following weeks, we’ll address the issue from the perspective of schools, community organizations, libraries, and literacy coalitions.

We invite you to follow along and share your own reflections, stories, and experiences with family literacy using #familyliteracymonth on Twitter and Facebook.

For more information about NCFL resources, initiatives, or to make a donation, visit familieslearning.org.