Early Literacy Work with Families: Policy, Practice and Research / Edition 1

by Cathy Nutbrown, Peter Hannon, Anne Morgan

Overview

A "must read" for practitioners, policy makers and researchers interested in the detail and the theory underpinning this important family literacy initiative' - Neil Mc Clelland OBE, Director, National Literacy Trust

‘The REAL Project is one of the best conceptualized, most intensively documented and successful British family literacy initiatives and the book provides a comprehensive overview of all aspects of this powerful project. It is essential reading for anyone working alongside families to promote children's early development' - Professor Nigel Hall, Institute of Education, Manchester Metropolitan University

Anyone involved in the field of early-childhood literacy should be familiar with the work of the REAL (Raising Early Achievement in Literacy) Project. Here, leading members of the project team Cathy Nutbrown, Peter Hannon and Anne Morgan, discuss the research. An essential guide to the subject, this book will be of great practical use to all in the field of early childhood literacy: students, practitioners and course leaders on literacy and early childhood courses.

The authors discuss the policy contexts of early-childhood and literacy today and use their experience of the REAL project to discuss and illustrate practical research and evaluation strategies for family literacy workers. They examine the issues from all perspectives: teachers, parents and young children. The book concludes with examples of how the theoretical framework of the REAL Project (ORIM) has been used by other practitioners and an examination of the implications of such work for the future of early-childhood and literacy policy development.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781412903752
Publisher:	SAGE Publications
Publication date:	10/03/2005
Edition description:	First Edition
Pages:	216
Product dimensions:	6.69(w) x 9.53(h) x (d)

About the Author

Cathy Nutbrown is President of Early Education and Professor of Education in the School of Education at the University of Sheffield. Her research over the last 30 years, has focussed on young children’s learning and work with parents to support young children’s literacy development. She won an ESRC Award for Research with Outstanding Impact on Society and a Nursery World Lifetime Achievement Award. She is author of over 150 publications including Early Literacy Work with Families (with Hannon and Morgan, Sage, 2005), Early Childhood Educational Research (Sage, 2019), and Home Learning Environments for Young Children (with Clough, Davies and Hannon, Sage, 2022).

Peter Hannon is Emeritus Professor at the University of Sheffield, School of Education. His pioneering research on family literacy, with many collaborators, led to the development of the ORIM Framework which was first used in the Sheffield Raising Early Achievement in Literacy Project, under his direction. He is author or co-author of over 100 publications, including, Literacy, Home and School (1995) and Early Literacy Work with Families (2005).

Table of Contents

EARLY CHILDHOOD EDUCATION AND FAMILY LITERACY: POLICY CONTEXTS
Policy Contexts
Family Literacy Programmes
DEVELOPING A FAMILY LITERACY PROJECT: PRACTICE AND EXPERIENCE
Building a Framework for Family Literacy Practice
Using the ORIM Framework to Develop a Family Literacy Programme
Opportunities for Parents as Adult Learners
Professional Development for Family Literacy Work
EVALUATION AND THE PERSPECTIVES OF PARTICIPANTS
The Importance of Evaluation
Teachers' Experiences of Family Literacy
Parents' Experiences and View of a Family Literacy Programme
Children's Perspectives on Family Literacy
Making a Difference?
THE FUTURE FOR EARLY CHILDHOOD EDUCATION AND FAMILY LITERACY
Developing Practices and Processes

Editorial Reviews

‘There are illuminating insights into children's perspectives on family literacy, including good news about fathers and boys. Most significantly for me, reading the book now, is the inclusion of Cathy Nutbrown's 1999 observation of a reception class literacy hour. Don't miss it!' - Nursery World

‘A "must" read for practitioners, policy makers and researchers interested in the detail and the theory underpinning this important family literacy initiative' - Neil Mc Clelland OBE, Director, National Literacy Trust

‘The REAL Project is one of the best conceptualized, most intensively documented and successful British family literacy initiatives and the book provides a comprehensive overview of all aspects of this powerful project. It is essential reading for anyone working alongside families to promote children's early development' - Professor Nigel Hall, Institute of Education, Manchester Metropolitan University

'The project described in detail in this book is arguably the most important and well-researched UK initiative for developing early literacy work with parents of young children.

...

Readers will find inspirational case studies ... There are illuminating insights into children's perspectives on family literacy, including good news about fathers and boys.

...

Don't miss it!' - Marian Whitehead, Nursery World

From the Publisher