My Project

The focus of this project has been on the development of a family literacy program specifically for rural communities in Atlantic Canada. This program is based on families’ identified literacy needs. The literacy program has provided children and parents an opportunity to participate in a program which incorporates both a whole and skills based approach to literacy. The program was designed with input from ten families in two rural communities of Prince Edward Island. The program was piloted in 2002-2003 after which reading assessments revealed that there was an overall mean grade level improvement of 2.0 indicating that the program was successful. All participants were interviewed to assess the impact of the program. Their comments and feedback were favourable and positive. In the fall of 2003, the program was then implemented with two groups. A total of 20 families were recruited. Ten families participated in the initial offering of the program (treatment group), and the subsequent ten families were identified as the delayed treatment group to serve as a control. In the fall of 2003, children who participated in the program had significant literacy gains in reading comprehension, listening comprehension, and basic reading as compared to children who did not participate in the program. Researchers revised and critically edited the original modules in order to clarify activities, provide uniformity, update and add references, and make them accessible for future use. The graphics/ photos have been updated and care has been taken to include pictures which represent Canadian multicultural society. The program was once again implemented in two communities in rural Prince Edward Island in 2005-2006, to determine if the program could offer the same achievement and results as the pilot program. Delayed treatment spanned the entire school year, with one group of ten families participating in the fall of 2005 and another group of 17 families in January, 2006. This was not only to assess the satisfaction but also the true impact of the program. As with the pilot program, the new presentation also involved direct interaction and collaboration with parents and their children in these rural communities. This project was piloted in Calgary, Alberta by “Education Matters” (formerly, the Calgary Board of Education Foundation), whose mission is to mobilize resources for programs and research that enhance public education, in October of 2005. The reaction to this program has been very positive. Facilitators have been able to conduct this program with no difficulties, simply with the use of the guides. They have adapted the program to meet the needs of their urban community, thereby demonstrating the program’s versatility Not only does this family literacy program aid in increasing literacy levels of children, but this research works toward building capacity within rural Canadian communities. Parents have acquired skills related to literacy development which improves their ability to support their children in all educational experiences. Furthermore, it positively impacts these communities by supporting language and literacy in a family context.