Goal #1: Goodling Institute Research

The purpose of the Goodling Institute for Research in Family Literacy Research Agenda is to identify research issues pertinent to family literacy. In 2001, the Goodling Institute brought together researchers, policymakers, and practitioners who were involved in Family Literacy to brainstorm a research agenda. In 2012, the Research Agenda was updated to reflect changes to the field. The new research agenda brings into focus current research as well as emerging trends in family literacy, and it serves to inform the field, guide legislation and policy development, and contribute to academic scholarship.

The original National Family Literacy Research Agenda (2001) can be viewed to understand changes in research within the field of family literacy.

The Goodling Institute for Research in Family Literacy is currently engaged in the following research and evaluation studies. 

Evaluation of the William Penn Foundation’s Family Literacy Initiative

PI: Carol Clymer, Co-Director GI/ISAL
CO-PIs:  Elisabeth McLean, Assistant Teaching Professor (GI); Anna Kaiper-Marquez, Associate Director (GI/ISAL); Jungeun Lee, Assistant Teaching Professor (GI/ISAL); Esther Prins, Co-Director GI/ISAL, Professor Lifelong Learning and Adult Education Programs

About the Project:  This work funded by the William Penn Foundation (WPF) continues from the initial grant which was funded from 2018-2022 for $487,905. This two-year extension (2022-2024 for $376,311) will evaluate five organizations in Philadelphia who are implementing family literacy programming, that includes early childhood education, adult education, and interactive literacy activities for caregivers and children. The goal of the Family Literacy Initiative is to "help organizations deepen and expand the connections between adult and child literacy programming and improve language and literacy skills and practices for adults and children." The Goodling Institute is providing technical assistance to the programs and conducting the evaluation, using data sources such as pre-post caregiver surveys, home literacy logs, school records, and program artifacts The five organizations include: Beyond Literacy, Indochinese American Council, KenCrest, Supportive Older Women’s Network, and Nationalities Services Center.

The Pennsylvania Department of Education, Division of Adult Education (three grants)

PI: Carol Clymer, Co-Director, Institute for the Study of Adult Literacy (ISAL) and Goodling Institute for Research in Family Literacy (GI) Project Lead: Rob Getz, Director of Career and Family Pathways programs, ISAL and GI

About the Projects: The Institutes have received grants from the Pennsylvania Department of Education, Division of Adult Education. A five-year project funded for $540,000 per year will fund the Career Pathways program to provide adult education and English as a second language classes and services to individuals 16 or older (and not in school) who want to earn a high school equivalency diploma; build their basic reading, writing, or math skills; or learn English. Free classes and services are available in Centre and Lycoming Counties. Another three-year project, funded for $116,600 per year, will provide family literacy services in Centre and Lycoming Counties to caregivers and their children through the Family Pathways program. The third grant—a two-year, $111,000 project per year, will fund the Tutoring Program for Adults to provide tutoring services to adult learners in the Career and Family Pathways programs in both counties. This grant will also provide peer tutoring services to female inmates at Muncy State Correctional Institution.

The Institute for Museum and Library Services

PI: Carol Clymer, Co-Director, ISAL/GI
Co-PIs: Elisabeth McLean, Assistant Teaching Professor GI; Esther Prins, Co-Director ISAL/GI, Professor, Lifelong Learning and Adult Education Programs; Heather Toomey-Zimmerman, Professor of Education-Learning, Design, and Technology Program

About the Project: This two year $249,499 project entitled “Enriching Library Family Programming Using the Smithsonian Institution’s Talk with Me Toolkits” includes a $154,616 subaward to the Goodling Institute for Research in Family Literacy to partner with Family Place Libraries and the Smithsonian Institution’s Office of Educational Technology (OET), and the Public Library Association to adapt, evaluate, and disseminate the Smithsonian OET’s free, online Talk with Me Toolkits (TMTs) for use in libraries’ family literacy and engagement efforts. The project will ensure libraries are successfully using the TMTs to help diverse families access and use digital resources and help librarians learn how to build their own TMT collections for use in family programming. As a subrecipient, the Goodling Institute will lead the evaluation, develop the data collection instruments, analyze the data, participate in advisory committee meetings, and help carry out project dissemination activities.

The Pennsylvania Department of Corrections

PI: Sarah Meyer Chilenski, Senior Research Associate, Prevention Research Center
Co-PIs: Carol Clymer, Co-Director ISAL/GI; Anna Kaiper Marquez, Associate Director ISAL/GI; Elisabeth McLean, Assistant Teaching Professor GI; Esther Prins, Co-Director ISAL/GI, Professor, Lifelong Learning and Adult Education Programs,

About the Project: The $138,379, 17-month project entitled “Addressing the Needs of Incarcerated Parents and Their Minor Children: Evaluation benefits and process of supplemental virtual reality programming” consists of an evaluation team with the PSU Edna Bennett Prevention Research Center and the Goodling Institute for Research in Family Literacy. Our team will provide a process evaluation on the implementation and integration of virtual reality (VR) to the InsideOut Dad® program for incarcerated fathers and the Parenting Inside Out® program for incarcerated mothers in four Pennsylvania State Correctional Institutions (SCIs) and the use of a VR “adventure experience” during in-person or video/Zoom-based visits with their children. Using a mixed-methods design, the evaluation will explore: 1) Participants’ perceptions of the effects of the curriculum, use of VR role plays, and the VR adventure experiences on their interactions and visits with their children and perceptions of their parenting skills; 2) What worked well for participants; and 3) Suggestions for potential changes or improvements to the programs’ implementation.  

• Prins, E., Kaiper, A., & Stickel, T. Read to Your Child/Grandchild: Family Literacy for Incarcerated Parents in Pennsylvania. Funder: Criminal Justice Research Center at Penn State ($5,000). 2018-19
• McLean, E. G., Clymer, C., & Prins, E. Evaluation of the Smithsonian Learning Lab and Project Zero in preschool classrooms. Funder: Smithsonian Institution ($9,859). 2018
• Prins, E., Clymer, C., Elder, S.F., Needle, M., Raymond, R., & Toso, B.W. Career Pathways Programming for Lower-Skilled Adults and Immigrants: A Comparative Analysis of Adult Education Providers in High-Need Cities. Funder: Institute of Education Sciences ($399,908).  2015-2018
• Prins, E. (PI), Huang-Pollock, C., Schaffer, B., Toso, B.W., Woodhouse, S., & Witherspoon, D. P-PLAN: Parents planning and learning about attention-related needs. Funder: PSU College of Education Research Initiation Grant ($8304) and the PSU Children, Youth, and Families Consortium ($6500).2012-14
• Prins, E., & Schafft, K. Examining residential mobility and family literacy educational outcomes among poor families in Pennsylvania: A rural-urban comparison. Funder: PSU College of Education Research Initiation Grant ($8,900). 2005-06

Research Brief #10

• Incarcerated fathers' experiences in the Read to Your Child/Grandchild Program: Supporting children's literacy, learning, and education by Prins, Stickel, & Kaiper (2019)

Research Brief #9

• Education and Literacy as Metonyms for English: Adult Basic Education and Domestic Workers in South Africa by Kaiper (2018)

Collaborative Research Brief

• Family Service Learning Brief by Cramer & Toso (2015). This brief is collaborative effort between Goodling Institute and the National Center for Families Learning

Research Brief #8

• Educational and Mothering Discourses and Learner Goals: Mexican Immigrant Women Enacting Agency in a Family Literacy Program by Toso (2012)

Research Brief #7

• Reproducing Gender Inequality: A Critical Discourse Analysis of a Turkish Adult Literacy Textbook  by Gungor & Prins (2011)

Research Brief #6

• African American Men, Identity, and Participation in Adult Basic and Literacy Programs by Drayton & Prins (2011)

Research Brief #5

• Changes in Family Literacy Funding and Welfare Policy: Consequences for Pennsylvania Family Literacy Programs by Prins & Gungor (2008)

Research Brief #4

• Moving towards Participatory Adult Education: Involving Family Literacy Students in Meaningful Leadership Experiences by Toso, Prins, Drayton, Gungor, & Gnanadass (2008)

Research Brief #3

• Parenting for Literacy Development and Educational Success: An Examination of the Parent Education Profile by Prins & Toso (2008)

Research Brief #2

• The Importance of Social Interaction and Support for Women Learners: Evidence from Family Literacy Programs by Prins, Toso, & Schafft (2008)

Research Brief #1

• Poverty, Residential Mobility, and Family Literacy Programs: Perceptions of Educators and Adult Learners in Pennsylvania by Shafft, Prins, & Movit (2008).  Funded through a Research Initiation Grant, College of Education, Pennsylvania State University ($8900)

• McLean, E., Clymer, C., Prins, E., Lee, J. (2024). Promising findings of targeted professional development in the William Penn Foundation Family Literacy Initiative.  COABE Journal, 13(2), 9-27. 
• Clymer, C., Lee, J., McLean, E., Prins, E. (2024). Parents' learning in family literacy: A mixed-methods evaluation.  Journal of Research in Adult Education, 47, 297-319.
• Clymer, C., Kaiper-Marquez, A., & McLean, E. (2022). Effects of the Covid-19 pandemic on family literacy programs in Philadelphia:  Lessons from a multi-year evaluation. COABE Journal, 11(2), 102-111.
• Stickel, T., Prins, E., Kaiper-Marquez, A. (February, 2021). 'The video is an upgrade from them all': how incarcerated fathers view the affordances of video in a family literacy programme.  Learning, Media and Technology, 46(2), 174-179.
• Stickel, T., Kaiper-Marquez, A., Prins, E. (2020). Creative fatherhood behind bars: The Read to Your Child program.  Revista Temas Em Educação, 29(2).  
• Prins, E., Stickel, T., Kaiper-Marquez, A. (2019). Incarcerated Fathers’ Experiences in the Read to Your Child/Grandchild Program: Supporting Children’s Literacy, Learning, and Education, Journal of Prison Education and Reentry, 6(2).
• Kaiper-Marquez, A., Wolfe, E., Clymer, C., Lee, J., McLean, E.G., Prins, E., Stickel, T. (2020).  On the fly: Adapting quickly to emergency remote instruction in a family literacy programme. International Review of Education, 66, 691-713. https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s11159-020-09861-y 
• Prins, E. (2017). Digital storytelling in adult basic education and literacy programming. In K. Yang & R. Lawrence (Eds.), Participatory visual approaches to adult and continuing education: Practical insights. New Directions for Adult and Continuing Education, 154, pp. 29-38.
• Prins, E. (2017). Digital storytelling in adult education and family literacy: A case study from rural Ireland. Learning, Media and Technology, 42(3), 308-323.
• Prins, E. & Gungor, R. (2011). Family literacy funding reductions and work-first welfare policies: Adaptations and consequences in family literacy programs. Adult Basic Education and Literacy Journal, 5(1), 15-25.  For a summary of this article, please review Research Brief #5.
• Prins, E., Toso, B., & Schafft, K. (2009). "It feels a little family to me": Social interaction and support among women in adult educations and family literacy. Adult Education Quarterly, 59(4), 335-352.  For a summary of this article, please review Research Brief #2.
• Toso, B., Prins, E., Drayton, B., Gungor, R., & Gnanadass, E. (2009). Finding voice: Shared decision making and student leadership in a family literacy program. Adult Basic Education and Literacy Journal, 3(3), 151-160. For a summary of this article, please review Research Brief #4.
• Schafft, K. & Prins, E. (2009). Poverty, residential mobility, and persistence across urban and rural family literacy programs in Pennsylvania. Adult Basic Education and Literacy Journal, 3(1), 3-12.  For a summary of this article, please review Research Brief #1.
• Prins,E., & Toso, B. (2008). Defining and measuring parenting for educational success: A critical discourse analysis of the parent education profile. American Educational Research Journal, 45(3), 555-596.  For a summary of this article, please review Research Brief #3.
• Prins, E.S. (2006). Similar, yet different: Case studies of three Even Start programs in Pennsylvania. Goodling Institute for Research in Family Literacy, The Pennsylvania State University.
• Askov, E.N., Grinder, E.L., & Kassab, C. (2005). Impact of family literacy on children (update section). Family Literacy Forum, 4(1), 38-39. For a summary, please review the annotation for this article.
• Askov, E.N., Kassab, C., Weirauch, D. (2005). Women in Pennsylvania's family literacy programs: Effects of participant characteristics on extent of participation. Adult Basic Education, 15(3), 131-149.
• Grinder, E.L., Longoria Saenz, E., Askov, E.N., & Aldemir, J. (2005). What's happening during the parent-child interactive literacy component of family literacy programs? Family Literacy Forum, 4(1), 12-18. For a summary, please review the annotation for this article.
• Kassab, C., Askov, E.N., Weirauch, D., Grinder, E., & Van Horn, B. (2004). Adult participation related to outcomes in family literacy programs. Family Literacy Forum, 3(1), 23-29. For a summary, please review the annotation for this article.
• Semali, L.M. (2004). Mapping Success: Family and child education (FACE) Program. A short progress report or the full paper can be found here.

• Lynch, J., & Prins, E. (2021). Teaching and learning about family literacy and family literacy programs. Routledge.
• Prins, E., Clymer, C., Kaiper-Marquez, A., & Toso, B. W. (2020). Family literacy. In T. Rocco, M. C. Smith, R. Mizzi, L. Merriweather, & J. Hawley (Eds.), Handbook of adult and continuing education (pp. 205-213). Stylus.
• Prins, E. & Van Horn, B. (2012). Adult learning in family literacy: Special considerations for women learners. In B.H. Wasik & B. Van Horn (Eds.), Handbook of Family Literacy (2nd edition). New York: Routledge.
• Weirauch, D. (2012). Program improvement through action research. In B.H. Wasik & B. Van Horn (Eds.), Handbook of Family Literacy (2nd edition). New York: Routledge. 
• Toso, B. & Gungor, R. (2012). Parent engagement and parent leadership. In B.H. Wasik & B. Van Horn (Eds.), Handbook of Family Literacy (2nd edition). New York: Routledge.

• Kaiper-Marquez, A. & Prins, E. (October, 2020). COVID-19: "This programme saved my live". UNESCO Institute for Lifelong Learning, https://thelifelonglearningblog.uil.unesco.org/2020/10/30/covid-19-this-programme-saved-my-life/
• McLean, E.G., & Clymer, C. (July, 2020). COVID-19 Exposes the Need for Family Literacy Programming. [Blog post].  Ed Tech Center @ World Education, https://edtech.worlded.org/covid-19-exposes-the-need-for-family-literacy-programming/

*Contact the author(s) for additional information.

• 2025 American Educational Research Association, Denver, CO

  • Prins, E., Clymer, C., Lee, J., McLean, B. (2025, April).  Adult learning matters: Examining parents' learning in the Philadelphia Family Literacy Initiative. 

• 2024 National Center for Families Learning Conference, Louisville, KY

  • Clymer, C., McLean, E., & Peyton, T. (2024, November). An update on family literacy funding

  • McLean, E., Clymer, C., & Prins, E. (2024, November). Learning with Smithsonian Institution's Talk with Me Toolkits.

  • Clymer, C., Prins, E., & McLean, E. (2024, November). Measuring what matters in family literacy.

• 2024 ProLiteracy Conference, Baltimore, MD

  • Clymer, C. & McLean, E. (2024, October). Family literacy programming using the Smithsonian Institution’s Talk with Me Toolkits

• 2024 Pennsylvania State University College of Education Research Research Conference, University Park, PA

  • Clymer, C., Xu, P., & Atta, M. (2024, October).  Results from an Evaluation of the Smithsonian's Institution's Talk with Me Toolkits.

• 2024 British Education Research Association Conference & World Education Research Association Focal Meeting, Manchester, England

  • Prins, E. & Clymer, C. (2024, September).  The promise of family literacy programs for immigrant families in the USA.

    [Conference session].

• 2024 Comparative and International Education Society Conference, Miami, FL, 

  • Prins, E. (Panel chair). (2024, March). Family and Intergenerational Learning and Literacy: International Perspectives from Argentina, Egypt, Jamaica, and Turkey [Conference session]. 

  • Prins, E., Cherewka, A., Clymer, C., & Zholdoshalieva, R. (2024, March). Family and Intergenerational Learning and Literacy Policies: A Dozen Questions to Guide Critical Policy Analysis. [Conference session]. 

• 2024 Coalition on Adult Basic Education Conference, Nashville, TN

  • Clymer, C., & Lee, J. (2024, March). Results of a four-year family literacy evaluation.

• 2023  National Center for Families Learning Conference, Omaha, NE

  • Clymer, C., McLean, E., Prins, E., (2023, October). Family Literacy Initiative Evaluation Results

  • Clymer, C., & Peyton, T. (2023, October). Federal Resources for a Family Learning System

• 2023 American Association of Adult and Continuing Education Conference, Lexington, KY

  • Prins, E., Juzwik, M., & Burke, K. (2023, October). White Christian nationalism and adult education. 

• 2023 Coalition on Adult Basic Education (COABE) Conference, Atlanta, GA.

  • Clymer, C., Kaiper-Marquez, A., Lee, J., McLean, E., Prins, E. (2023, April). The value of family literacy: Preliminary results of a multi-year evaluation [Hybrid conference session]. 

• 2022  Pennsylvania Association for Adult Continuing Education Presentations

  • Kaiper-Marquez, A. & Clymer, C. (2022, May).  Emerging Equity in ABE/Family Literacy Classrooms.

  • McLean, E., & Clymer, C. (2022, May). Interactive Literacy Activities:  Making Learning Fun!!

• 2022 Coalition on Adult Basic Education Conference (COABE) (hybrid), Seattle, WA

  • Clymer, C., McLean, E., Severson-Irby, E. (2022, April). Using WIOA Title II and Other Funding to Support Family Literacy

  • McLean, E. & Clymer, C. (2022, April). Using Family Literacy Programs to Combat the COVID-19 Education Slide

• 2022 Commission of Professors of Adult Education Conference, American Association of Adult and Continuing Education, Milwaukee, WI

  • Prins, E. (2022, October). Parents' outcomes in family literacy programs: Recasting parents as learners in their own right [Virtual paper presentation].

• 2021 National Center for Families Learning Conference Presentations (Virtual)

  • Clymer, C., Lee, J. McLean, E. (2021, October).  Family Literacy in the U.S.: Where are we in 2021?

  • Clymer, C., Stravrakos, J., Begley, S., Perez, D. (2021, October). William Penn Foundation Family Literacy Initiative

  • McLean, E. & Clymer, C. (2021, October). Interactive Literacy: Fun for Parent and Child!

• 2021 Coalition on Adult Basic Education Conference Presentations (Virtual)

  • Clymer, C., Lee, J., Grinder McLean, E. (2021, March). Family literacy in the U.S.: Where are we in 2021?

  • Clymer, C., Grinder McLean, E., Wolfe, E. (2021, March). On the fly: Adapting quickly to emergency remote instruction in a family literacy program.

• Goodling Institute Presentations from 2016 to 2020

• Goodling Institute Presentations from 2010 to 2015

• Goodling Institute Presentations from 2005 to 2009