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Family literacy practice and research in Canada

Family literacy practice and research in Canada. Yvon Laberge Éduk Alberta, Canada ylaberge@shaw.ca. Overview. Setting the table: The Canadian geo-political context Family literacy practice - examples from Alberta Research in Family Literacy Two cases studies explored. Huge landbase.

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Family literacy practice and research in Canada

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  1. Family literacy practice and research in Canada Yvon Laberge Éduk Alberta, Canada ylaberge@shaw.ca

  2. Overview • Setting the table: The Canadian geo-political context • Family literacy practice - examples from Alberta • Research in Family Literacy • Two cases studies explored

  3. Huge landbase

  4. Population • Most of the population concentrated along the 49th parallel • Officially bilingual - French and English • Canada is a land of immigrants • Aboriginal populations are the fastest growing • Largest cities are Toronto, Montreal, Vancouver - all cosmopolitan • Rural areas tend to be more ethnically homogeneous

  5. Political organization: Two tier system • National government (federal government) • Provincial and territorial governments (10 provinces and 3 territories) • Roles and responsibilities defined in the national constitution

  6. Federal government No direct involvement in education Redirect funds to provincial/territorial governments for adult education No program delivery mandate - only peripheral support Provincial/territorial governments Education - raise taxes, define curriculum, etc. Manage adult education systems Responsible for direct delivery of adult/family literacy Division of responsibilities

  7. Consequences • No national literacy strategy (one of the few industrial countries lacking such a strategy) • 13 different approaches to literacy delivery • Little or no transferability between programs from one province/territory to another • Generally poorly funded adult/family literacy programs

  8. Literacy levels (IALSS results) • Examined three forms of literacy: prose, document, quantitative • Five levels • Level 3 is the level the OECD and Statistics Canada consider to be the minimum required to be able to function effectively in a modern society and economy.

  9. Literacy levels (IALSS results) • 42% of the working aged adult population was at levels one and two on the IALS prose scale • Represents approximately 9 million Canadians

  10. Literacy levels (Aboriginal population) • Prose literacy performance of the Aboriginal populations surveyed is lower than that of the total Canadian population. • Younger Aboriginal people have higher scores than older ones but all age groups score lower than non-Aboriginal people.

  11. Literacy levels (Francophone population) • The proportion of Francophones with low literacy is higher than the proportion of Anglophones with low literacy - 52% across the country • 56% in Québec • 66% in New Brunswick

  12. Literacy levels (Immigrant population) • Overall, immigrants of work age performed significantly below the Canadian born population. • Immigrants whose mother tongue was neither English nor French have lower average scores in all four domains compared to immigrants whose mother tongue is one of the two official languages.

  13. Unexpected results • Little improvement in the overall literacy proficiency of adult Canadians between 1994 and 2003

  14. Improvements had been expected because: • Retirement of older, less educated workers; • New immigrants tend to be more highly educated; • Growth in the proportion of the Canadian-born population with postsecondary education

  15. Impact of these results on family literacy • Family literacy policies tend to focus on children who are in “at risk environments” • Target immigrant populations • Target aboriginal populations • Federal government has targeted francophones in a minority context

  16. In the province of Alberta • Parent-child literacy strategy • Family literacy initiative fund

  17. Parent-child literacy strategy Focuses on intergenerational educational approaches that integrate adult literacy development and early oral language development for children aged 0 to 6 for economically and socially disadvantaged families.

  18. Parent-child literacy strategy: Objectives • Enhance the oral language, early literacy and social interaction skills of children aged 0 to 6 • Strengthen and build the basic literacy skills of parents. • Support and foster the involvement of parents in their children’s learning • Develop and enhance community-based partnerships

  19. Parent-child literacy strategy: 5 strategic axis • Awareness Raising • Assessing Need • Program Delivery • Training • Evaluation

  20. Parent-child literacy strategy: Key activities to date • English Express Special Issues • Parent-Child Literacy and Home Visitation Partnerships • Intensive Family Literacy Pilot and Evaluation (Learning Together Study) • Training • Family Literacy Initiative Fund

  21. Parent-child literacy strategy: Home visitation pilot project • Support home-visitors in providing family literacy programmes in the home. • Training • Materials and programmes • Evaluation

  22. Parent-child literacy strategy: Innovative projects • A number of innovative projects are supported including the Classroom on Wheels (C.O.W.)

  23. Alberta Prairie C.0.W. Video interlude!!!

  24. Sample Family Literacy Programmes supported by the FLIF* *The following slides on programmes have been reproduced with the permission of the Centre for Family Literacy

  25. Books for Babies Provides resources to families Encourages parents to read to their children Builds strong foundations in literacy

  26. Building Blocks Literacy builders work with families in their homes Builders work with parents and children,with parents gradually taking over Builders provide follow-up support by telephone

  27. Help Your Child to Readand Write For parents of school-age children Provides strategies for parents to usein helping their children withreading and writing

  28. Literacy and Parenting Skills Provides literacy and parenting skills workshops Groups choose from 14 parenting topics Parents learn to model good literacy practiceswith their children

  29. Two programmes in French • Grandir avec les livres • Parents and caregivers of children birth to 4 years old • Workshops increase awareness of early learning andfoster interest in reading • Contes sur roues • Follow-up to Grandir avec les livres • Parents and caregivers of childrenup to 4 years old • Home or daycare visitor modelsreading activities, leavesresources for family or daycareto use

  30. Parent-Child Mother Goose / Rhymes That Bind For parents and veryyoung children Develops oral language through rhymes and songs Promotes positive parenting

  31. Storysacks ‘Sacks’ contain a story book, toys, and props Language games and ideas for use arealso included They can be used in families, daycares, libraries,and other settings

  32. PCLS - Supports a Training Strategy • Foundational training • Models training • Training sessions designed to meet the specific needs of key stakeholders

  33. Foundational training • Offered in person or on-line • Covers 10 topics considered essential to organize and offer a family literacy programme • Each topic is presented in a three hour session • Participants are given a manual that covers all the information presented and more • Currently being adapted as a credit course through a community college

  34. Understanding Family Literacy The Practice of Family Literacy in an Unjust World The Dynamics of Working with Parents Understanding Children and their Development Understanding Emergent Literacy Working with Families in a Family Literacy Setting 10 chapters - 10 topics

  35. Working with Communities Administering a Family Literacy Project Evaluating Family Literacy Projects Best Practices in Family Literacy 10 chapters - 10 topics

  36. Models training • Training is provided on specific programme models • Offered during a two or three day institute in a central location - or in the community

  37. Targeted training • Training is provided to targeted groups requiring a specific emphasis. Examples of such groups include: • Community health workers • Day-care workers • Home-visitors • Introductory session on Family Literacy (2-3 hours)

  38. Research Overview • General state of research in Family Literacy in Canada • Two case studies

  39. General State of Research • Traditionally, priority placed on applied research. • NLS is moving away from applied research • Rapidly developing area of research by the academic community • Research tends to be in specialized areas • A clearinghouse for research is CLLRNet

  40. CLLRNet (Canadian Language and Literacy Research Network) • Multidisciplinary research program integrates contributions from the many sectors involved in children's language and literacy development, including basic and applied scientists, educators, clinicians, students, parents and caregivers, and industrial and government partners.

  41. CLLRNet (Canadian Language and Literacy Research Network) • Currently more than 50 projects • For more information on CLLRNet and the research programmes: • www.cllrnet.ca • www.cllrnet.ca/index.php?fa=Research.show

  42. ONTARIO STUDY - FRENCH “For my Child:A Study of the Impact of French-Language Family Literacy Programs on Francophone Families in Linguistic Minority Settings in Ontario “Pour mon enfant d’abord: Étude de l’impact de l’alphabétisation familiale sur les familles vivant en milieu minoritaire en Ontario”

  43. For my Child: Purpose To assess the changes observed in literacy habits and in use of French among parents and children who have been involved in one of the French-language literacy programs offered by seven French language literacy centres in Ontario.

  44. For my Child: Methodology • Semi-directed interviews with the participating parents, their literacy trainers, and the directors of these centres. • Questionnaire used to guide the interview

  45. For my Child: Methodology • Interviews with participants conducted at the start of the programme and at the end - using the same questionnaire. • Interviews with facilitators and coordinators conducted at the end of the programme

  46. For my Child: Methodology • Cohort 1 - a total of 52 families involved • 52 women and 10 men interviewed • Cohort 2+3 - a total of 177 families • 161 women and 31 men interviewed

  47. For my Child: Typology of programmes - cohort 1 • Six programmes had direct parent and children involvement • Three programmes had direct parent involvement and indirect impact on the child

  48. For my Child: Typology of programmes - cohorts 2 + 3 • Six programmes had direct parent and children involvement • One programme had direct parent involvement and indirect impact on the child

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