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Family Learning
In order to break the cycle of underachievement we must ensure that we are working with parents - as well as with grandparents and other carers - to support literacy and numeracy activities with their children.
(DfES 2001)
***NEW*** Launch of Family Reading Campaign
The National Literacy Trust launched the Family Reading Campaign on Monday 15 January 2007. The campaign, a partnership coordinated by the National Literacy Trust on behalf of the Department for Education and Skills, was formally announced at a special event at The Oval Cricket Ground in south London. The event was hosted by BBC news presenter Huw Edwards and attended by DfES Minister for Children, Young People and Families, Parmjit Dhanda.
The Family Reading Campaign aims to ensure that:
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All families see reading as an important part of their daily lives and part of the culture of their home.
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Parents and carers find time to read regularly with their younger children.
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Reading for pleasure is recognised as an important part of the process of learning to read.
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Young people feel comfortable about being seen to enjoy reading.
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Reading in the home is encouraged and supported by schools, the local community, the business community, the media and wider society.
For more information, please click here.
Step in to Learning
Step in to Learning is jointly funded by both Surestart Group and the Skills for Life Strategy Unit. It utlilises the unique access that early years and childcare staff have to parents and trains them to identify parents with basic skills needs and then refer them to and support them in taking up training opportunities. Step in to Learning has been trialled and developed by 43 local authorities since 2001 and to date over 3,500 people have undertaken the Step in to Learning programme. As a result, approximately 20,000 parents have been helped to improve their basic skills.
For further information about Step in to Learning, and to order free resources and materials, please visit the Step in to Learning website.
Family Literacy, Language and Numeracy
The Family Literacy, Language and Numeracy initiative was set up to raise the literacy, language and numeracy skills of parents and children, and to increase parents' support for their children's literacy, language and numeracy development. We recently published Family Literacy, Language and Numeracy: a guide for policy makers, which sets out our strategy and explains how family learning links with Skills for Life.
Click here to download the policy guide
This policy guide can also be ordered from DfES Publications by phoning 0845 60 222 60 and quoting the reference FLLN.
Further information on Family Learning:
Click here to see the Campaign for Learning web pages on family learning
Click here to see the NIACE web pages on family learning
Click here for the Skills for Families website, run by the Basic Skills Agency
Click here for the Family Health Embedded Learning interactive guide
Click here to visit ContinYou: encouraging families to learn together
Free Family Learning Materials
There are now a range of free materials available to support and promote family learning. These can all be ordered from DfES Publications by phoning 0845 60 222 60 and quoting the relevant reference codes.
Scratchcards: "Why not learn together?" These A5 size scratch cards can be given out and used to promote family literacy, language and numeracy to working parents. There are two versions: FLLN2 and FLLN3.
Promotional leaflet/poster: This is an A5 leaflet which can be given out to promote family literacy, language and numeracy. It folds out into an A3 poster which can be used to publicise events etc. The reference code is FLLN1.
Raising Standards: Family Learning Contextualised Guide: This guide will help learning providers achieve excellence in family learning. The reference code is SFLFL.
Family Learning Week: every October
Family Learning Week (formerly Family Learning Weekend) is a national awareness campaign that raises awareness of the importance and scope of family learning to potential participants, practitioners and key influencers. It aims to strengthen communities and to create more opportunities for the family to learn together by encouraging organisations to offer a special family learning event in October each year.
The Campaign for Learning (CfL) launched the first national Family Learning Day in 1998. This became Family Learning Weekend in 1999 and Family Learning Week for 2004. The Campaign provides a framework of guidance and support, all drawn from the best practice displayed by participants. CfL conduct research into the needs of families, stimulate high profile media coverage and continuously build relationships with organisations who can provide specialist expertise and support nationally and locally. They provide free materials and publicity for events and support throughout the year to event organisers.
Please click here for details.
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