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Families For Literacy
Parents who are nonreaders very often have children who are nonreaders. The foundation that enables a child to become a reader has never been built in these families. If parents are not able to read themselves, or to their children, then books, newspapers and magazines are not in their homes. Therefore reading is not a part of family life. So goes the cycle of illiteracy…
Illiteracy is passed on from one generation to the next. Tutors in the Monterey Free Libraries Families For Literacy Project help break this cycle by encouraging the learner to read to his or her child. The Families For Literacy Program (FFL) is based on the premise that the parent is first and most important teacher. However, parents need basic reading skills and self–confidence if they are to be effective teachers.
Family togetherness To qualify for the FFL (Families For Literacy Program) an adult learner must have at least one child under the age of six. Families For Literacy works with learners who have children, grandchildren or day care children age five or under. The primary goals of the program are to:
  • Introduce families to the joy and value of reading
  • Familiarize families with high quality children’s literature
  • Establish home libraries
  • Equip parents with the skills to prepare their children for reading
  • Build self-esteem
  • Create library users
  • Adult learners gain skills that will enable them to become their children's first teacher
Storytelling Rita Zanzinger enchants and entertains a group of children with stories and games during a Families for Literacy get-together.
Services Offered to FFL Adult Learners
  • FFL learners are provided one-on-one tutoring sessions with a volunteer tutor who has met training requirements.
  • A contract is signed between the FFL adult learner and the volunteer tutor for a period of six months.
  • Each session is two hours long, and does not include the tutor's travel or preparation time.
  • Learners will develop short and long term goals with the help of their tutors.
FFL Learners have extra responsibilities and need to attend all FFL activities.
  • Each learner will read to his or her child three times a week for at least 15 minutes
  • Attend all meetings for the FFL learners and members of his/her family.
  • Attend any evening meetings of parent education for learners only.
  • Each learner is expected to, with the help of his or her tutor, establish two short-term and one long-term goals for him/herself.
The FFL Program hopes that all families will read together. To make this a possibility, a portion of each tutoring session is devoted to FFL, reviewing children’s books and parenting and reading readiness material.
Adult learners benefit from practicing reading aloud to children as part of tutoring instruction in several ways:
1. Turns receptive learning into active practice.
2. Uses more than one learning style, reading silently and listening become reading aloud and actively speaking.
3. Raises self-esteem.
4. Meets most learners' goal of improving children's chances for success.
5. Children's book themes often apply to real life parenting situation.
6. Empowers learner to participate in children's school culture when he is with his family.
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Cathy Andrews,
Monterey County Free Libraries. (831) 883-7597


If you would like to become a learner and participate in the Families For Literacy program:
Call 883-7597.
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©2003 Monterey County Adult Literacy Program. Monterey County Free Libraries