Engaging Families In Literacy Education

Abstract

Parent/caregiver participation is an essential component of the literacy education process. Current school-directed methods of involving parents/caregivers have shown inconsistent results regarding student literacy outcomes. Parent/caregiver-directed, collaborative efforts that engage families, teachers, and other school professionals ensure that parents/caregivers are invested in educational outcomes for their children. Charter schools, growing in popularity in the United States, are required to meet standards but are awarded flexibility with curriculum and implementation practices. For this reason, charter schools have the ability to experiment with new and groundbreaking practices to improve literacy education. The purpose of this study was to explore family engagement in school literacy curriculum development and implementation at a public charter school in Fort Worth, Texas. Specifically, this exploratory study sought to uncover both the strengths and limitations to effective family engagement via a triangulation of parent/caregiver, teacher, and administrative perspectives. The results of this study have the potential to impact future family participation models and ultimately improve literacy outcomes for students.