Abstract
This paper explores the changing roles of families in children’s developing literacy in the UK in the last century. It discusses how, during this time, understandings of reading and writing have evolved into the more nuanced notion of literacy. Further, in acknowledging changes in written communication practices, and shifting attitudes to reading and writing, the paper sketches out how families have always played some part in the literacy of younger generations; though reading was frequently integral to the lives of many families throughout the past century, we consider in particular the more recent enhancement of children’s literacy through targeted family programmes. The paper considers policy implications for promoting young children’s literacy through work with families.
Highlights
From reading and writing to literacyWorking with families to promote children’s early literacy development in the UK is a relatively recent practice, having evolved over the last two decades (see Hannon (1995) for a discussion of this)
It is important to understand the historical roots of reading in families that have brought us to a point where family literacy is, at the least, not unusual
Nutbrown and Hannon (2003) found that despite the fact that children in their first term of full-time school are required to read with their teacher every day, they identified the home as the place for reading, which is echoed by Collins and Svensson’s (2008) finding that rich home-literacy environments where parents discuss books with their children are a factor contributing to the development of confident young readers
Summary
From reading and writing to literacyWorking with families to promote children’s early literacy development in the UK is a relatively recent practice, having evolved over the last two decades (see Hannon (1995) for a discussion of this). Nutbrown and Hannon (2003) found that despite the fact that children in their first term of full-time school are required to read with their teacher every day, they identified the home as the place for reading, which is echoed by Collins and Svensson’s (2008) finding that rich home-literacy environments where parents discuss books with their children are a factor contributing to the development of confident young readers.
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