How might your own personal beliefs and values affect your ability to develop and deliver a quality family literacy program? Here is a chance for you to think about where you stand before discussing the following statements with colleagues in your agency and community partners.

Read each statement and ask yourself, “What do I think about this?” Take your time. You may wish to journalize your personal responses or discuss some of them with another colleague. Consider how your feelings and beliefs may affect your work with families.

Statements:

• Literacy is a basic human right.
• Families are complex and their literacy needs are all different.
• Parents are their children’s first teachers and their most important resource for developing literacy.
• All family members are capable learners who bring a wealth of knowledge to contribute to programs.
• Family members are continually developing the literacy skills and practices they each need to get things done every day.
• Individual family members who improve their own literacy help develop the whole family’s literacy.
• Family activities that involve reading, writing and talking help develop everyone’s literacy skills and interest in learning.
• When families do enjoyable literacy activities together, they are also strengthening family relationships.
• The social, cultural, economic and political context of families’ everyday lives affects their existing knowledge, perspectives and abilities.
• All languages are equally valuable, and everyone should have the right to be literate in the language of their choice.
• The various languages used by participants in their homes should also be used, validated and honoured in programs.
• Families who face economic, social or educational challenges have much to contribute to a family literacy program.