5a. Family Literacy Policy & Procedure

• Created 11/06
• Reviewed 05/23

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Policy

The goal of family literacy is to enable Head Start/EHS/ECEAP parents to develop and use literacy skills which enable them to become more active and effective participants in the community, in the workplace, in their child’s education and development, and in their efforts to obtain economic and social self-sufficiency.

Procedure

1. Offer parent literacy training that leads to economic and financial self-sufficiency through:
   • Onsite ELL classes.
   • Refer to GED programs.
   • High School+ (HS+) Program
   • Assist families to attend Lower Columbia College.
   • Development of Family Literacy goals as appropriate in the Family Partnership Agreement (FPA) process.
   • Development of family finance and/or budgeting goals as appropriate in the Family Partnership Agreement (FPA) process.
2. Educate parents on how to be the primary teacher for their children and full partners in their child’s education through:
   • Home visiting activities with parent, child and teacher regarding early literacy and activities to build these skills. Parents and children are encouraged to practice these educational activities often in the home.
   • Staff presenting Developmentally Appropriate Practice (DAP) at parent meetings.
   • Education and support groups that help to educate parents on how to be the primary teacher for their children.
   • Play and Learn (PAL) groups.
3. Provide interactive literacy activities between parents and their children through:
   • Encourage parents to create verbal or written books and stories in their home language.
   • Providing a parent and child literacy event for families that is focused on topics that may include free books, a Zoo-phonics activity, reading to children, financial literacy information and GED/college information.
4. Provide age-appropriate education to prepare children for success in school and life experiences through:
   • Provide daily planned literacy activities in the Head Start/EHS/ECEAP classroom.
   • Individual child learning plans developed around child literacy goals.
   • Invite guest readers from the community, parents and staff to read to the children in the classroom.
   • Participating with the local library to: provide guest readers/puppet shows; coordinate field trips to local libraries; and to collaborate on providing families with library information (library cards for children and adults).