Section Three

Using the EPE Model to Establish Assessment Routines

Start With Questions and Identified Objectives

Questions that commonly arise as evaluation teams start thinking about how to systematically gather information tailored to the needs of their family literacy programs have included:

  • How to learn about current family literacy practices, when families first enter a program? What literacy experiences and beliefs do families bring to our programs?
  • How to develop adequate home-program communication when the family literacy program has targeted the child as its primary client?
  • How to engage adults in ABE programs in literacy activities which build on their roles as parents or caregivers?
  • How to help adult learners bring centre-based family literacy learning into the home?

These questions are related to the following program objectives commonly accepted as starting points for instruction/learning in programs, as previously mentioned as International Reading Association standards for family literacy:

  • to increase family involvement with young children in everyday literacy activities such as shopping, bathing, eating, etc.
  • to increase parent-child reading at home
  • to increase parent familiarity with a range of play and writing activities related to reading children's books
  • to use family experiences as the scaffold to develop English literacy skills of ESL parents
  • to increase parent involvement in children's after school tutoring/homework activities of children
  • to increase self-esteem of parent and child by increasing confidence in parent-child interaction through family literacy experiences.



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