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Family Literacy

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Literacies and Language Education

Part of the book series: Encyclopedia of Language and Education ((ELE))

Abstract

Family literacy constitutes a rich area of inquiry within larger discussions on children, parents, and family learning and broad discussions of literacy in and out of school. It is often interpreted as a single concept, in which the focus on literacy is complemented by attention to families, or may be examined as a multidimensional concept in which families and literacy are studied in tandem to inform and deepen our understanding of the intersections between the two areas of inquiry. While a significant amount of the literature on family literacy focuses on the range of programs providing literacy support to both parents and children and at home and school, a core of research seeks to understand families learning literacy in context – e.g., homes and communities, the relationships that foster learning in these contexts, and the role of the family itself in creating and sustaining literacy learning and engagement. A tension that has persisted in the field centers on conceptualizations of literacy as cultural and social practices, socio-contextual factors, and social change versus discrete skills that assume universality of interests, needs, and backgrounds of learners. Drawing upon selected works representing different areas of inquiry and different decades of research, this review focuses on developments and shifts in family literacy over the past 50 years, including immigrant families and digital literacies; the persistence of tensions and problems; and the possibilities that are emerging within and across language and literacy theory, research, and practice.

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Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Graduate School of Education, University of Pennsylvania, 3700 Walnut Street, Philadelphia, PA, USA

    Vivian L. Gadsden

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  1. Vivian L. Gadsden
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Correspondence to Vivian L. Gadsden .

Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

  1. Professor Emeritus of Language and Education, Department of Education and Professional Studies, King’s College London, London, United Kingdom

    Brian V. Street

  2. Faculty of Education and Social Work, The University of Auckland, Auckland, New Zealand

    Stephen May

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Gadsden, V.L. (2017). Family Literacy. In: Street, B., May, S. (eds) Literacies and Language Education. Encyclopedia of Language and Education. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-02252-9_15

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