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Leaving No Child Behind May Require Leaving No One Behind

University Park, Pa.—President George W. Bush has made his education slogan “No Child Left Behind” part of the nation’s vernacular. On International Literacy Day, September 8, family literacy experts nationwide are asking how that goal can be accomplished while so many children’s parents cannot read well.

“President Bush’s education initiative, called ‘No child left behind,’ focuses on making sure that all children read on grade level. Unfortunately, many parents’ skills are limited. This initiative should be expanded to include those parents, perhaps calling it ‘No one left behind’,” said Barbara Van Horn, author of the recent study, “Pennsylvania’s Family Literacy Programs.” Van Horn noted that “adults who are not proficient readers need help as well. Not only do parents gain from increased literacy skills, but their children also benefit. They learn by example and through practice with their parents.”

The Penn State study showed that long-term family literacy program participants read more often to their children and that their children read more often on their own as a “fun” activity. Likewise, children read to their parents more often. Children in family literacy programs also scored higher on developmental tests than a control group of children who did not participate.

The findings support Pennsylvania’s Family Literacy initiatives, spearheaded by former governor Tom Ridge and continued by the administration of current Governor Mark Schweiker. Pennsylvania now has family literacy programs in all 67 counties — one of the largest statewide family literacy initiatives in the U.S. These community-based programs serve an estimated 2,000 adults and 3,000 children each year.

Support for the concept of family literacy is growing nationwide. The federal government last year put its support behind the idea of family, rather than individual, literacy programs by making a one-time federal appropriation of $6 million to establish an endowment creating the Goodling Institute for Research in Family Literacy at Penn State. Van Horn is co-director of the Goodling Institute.

“Family literacy programs serve the hardest to reach populations,” Van Horn said. “People in these programs often do not participate in formal education activities or programs, so to see them succeeding here is a good sign.”

The benefits of reaching adults as well as children also have business applications.

“Other studies have shown that a more literate workforce is good for business, too,” Van Horn noted. “Industries whose employees have gone through workplace literacy programs have shown higher production, lower costs due to injuries on the job, and better compliance with OSHA regulations.”

The Penn State study was funded by the State Department of Education’s Bureau of Adult and Basic Literacy Education (ABLE).

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