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Early Child Development and Care

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An Evaluation of Family Literacy Bags as a Vehicle for Parent Involvement

Martha Dever a; Diane Burts b a Department of Elementary Education, 2805 Old Main Hill, Utah State University, Logan, UT, 84322-2805. b School of Human Ecology, Louisiana State University, Baton Rouge, LA, 70803. Online Publication Date: 01 August 2002 To cite this Article: Dever, Martha and Burts, Diane (2002) 'An Evaluation of Family Literacy Bags as a Vehicle for Parent Involvement', Early Child Development and Care, 172:4, 359 370 To link to this article: DOI: 10.1080/03004430212721 URL: http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/03004430212721

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An Evaluation of Family Literacy Bags as a Vehicle for Parent Involvement

MARTHA T. DEVERa,{ and DIANE C. BURTSb
a

Department of Elementary Education, 2805 Old Main Hill, Utah State University, Logan, UT, 84322-2805; bSchool of Human Ecology, Louisiana State University, Baton Rouge, LA, 70803

(Received 24 January 2002) Early childhood scholars concur that books and interactive reading between adults and children strongly support childrens reading achievement. Furthermore, they argue for the importance of involving families in their childrens education. The Family Literacy Bags (FLB) project described and evaluated here, is a parent involvement and education innovation designed to engage children and their families in reading books at home. To meet the diversity of family needs, some of the FLB contained materials in both Spanish and English. Findings from this inquiry conducted in four primarily rural, middle class school districts in the west, suggest that the FLB project encouraged home book reading in families. Furthermore, parents learned effective ways to read and discuss books with their children, new information about availability of various books, and information about their childrens developing language skills. Children demonstrated an initial and sustained interest in the FLB project. Suggestions for further research and parent education are discussed. Key words: Parent involvement; Literacy bags; Family

In the landmark text Becoming a Nation of Readers, the authors note, the single most important activity for building the knowledge required for eventual success in reading is reading aloud to children (Anderson, Hiebert, Scott and Wilkinson, 1985, p. 23). Furthermore, early childhood scholars concur that books and interactive reading between adults and children is critical (Adams, 2000; Bus, Van Ijzendoorn and Pellegrini, 1995; Dever, 2001; Neuman, 1997; Ramos and Krashen, 1998), and advocate involving parents in their childrens education (Barbour, 1998=99; Dever, 2001; Neuman, 1996). High frequency of home picture book reading supports childrens: (a) readiness to benet from formal literacy instruction, (b) ability to attend to text and school learning, (c) print knowledge, and (d) motivation for literacy learning (Robinson, Larson and Haupt, 1995; 1996). Many parents foster a home environment that supports their childrens school achievement. These parents may participate in their childrens education by coming to school, performing tasks at home to assist the teacher, accompanying the class on eld trips, and=or attending parent workshops. Other parents, however, may not have the resources or the inclination to support their childrens success in school in these ways. For example, time for many parents

{ To get more information or to order the FLB guidebooks, contact Dr. D. Ray Reutzel, Director; 6515 Old Main Hill; Utah State University, Logan, UT, 84322-6515. * Corresponding author. Tel.: 435-797-0394; Fax: 435-797-0372; E-mail: dever@coe.usu.edu

ISSN 0300-4430 print; ISSN 1476-8275 online # 2002 Taylor & Francis Ltd DOI: 10.1080/0300443022000004666

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is consumed with providing the necessities for their children, leaving little time to assist at school. Others have negative memories of their own school experiences and nd school to be an uncomfortable place. A third reason that parents may not be greatly involved in their childrens education is their belief that teachers are the absolute authority, a view common among Hispanic parents, for example. Teachers teach and parents nurture; thus, engaging in formal teaching is considered by some as an interference (Espinosa, 1995). Related to reading at home, many parents indicate that they lack high-quality reading materials and knowledge of the reading process and are thus unable to support their childrens reading success at home (Brock and Dodd, 1994). To address diverse family needs, Epstein (1995) advocates a variety of ways to involve parents in their childrens education. One way, learning at home, involves supplying parents with information and materials to work with their children at home. Many early childhood educators have developed programs for learning at home (Barbour, 1998=99; Burts and Dever, 2001; Dever, 2001; Fisher, 1998; Kokoski and Patton, 1997). For example, to encourage parents and children to talk and write at home, Fishers students took turns taking Mr. Bear home for the night and, with their parents assistance, wrote about their experiences in Mr. Bears journal. Kokoski and Patton provided science and math activities for children to take home in special backpacks. Barbour developed the Home Literacy Bags that are very similar to the Family Literacy Bags described here. The Family Literacy Bags (FLB) project is grounded in the research and professional literature on early literacy learning and parent involvement and education. Each FLB contains high-quality childrens books and a guidebook for parents to read and talk about the books with their children. In this article, we describe how families responded to the FLB project that was implemented in one city and three rural school districts in the western United States. Three of the four districts were experiencing an increase in numbers of nonnative English speaking families, primarily Spanish-speaking. All kindergarten teachers in the four districts were given enough FLB to use in their classrooms so that each child could take a bag home approximately every third week. The general purpose of the project was to encourage and support home book-reading and discussions, other book related activities, and for kindergarten children to demonstrate initial and sustained interest in and enthusiasm for using the FLB at home.

Home Book-Reading Early shared reading has been linked to later language growth and reading achievement, and early childhood scholars argue for the importance of parents reading to their children (Ortiz, Stowe and Arnold, 2001). Schools have the opportunity to positively impact childrens achievement when they support parents as educators (Barbour, 1998; Berger, 1995; Dever, 2001) and acknowledge the critical importance of time spent reading with more literate others, to childrens literacy learning (Oglan and Elcombe, 2001). Neuman (1997) asserts, engaging parents and children in mutual activities that include book reading, but are not limited to it, may constitute the richest potential for supporting childrens early literacy development (p. 119). Research indicates that children who are read to from birth have an advantage over children from homes where reading is less prominent (Oglan and Elcombe). For example, scholars (Purcell-Gates, McIntyre and Freppon, 1995; Sulzby, 1985) have found that reading to preschoolers advances their linguistic development and assists them to develop a schema for written narrative language.

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Robinson et al. (1995; 1996) assessed the impact of taking home high-quality picture books on reading behaviors of pre-k and kindergarten children from low and middle SES groups. In their study, children demonstrated an increased interest in books at school, and the number of books read at home increased. In addition, the amount of time spent with books increased in both middle and low SES homes. The researchers concluded that innovations to increase home book reading are worthy of exploration. Furthermore, Ortiz et al. (2001) suggest that innovations to increase childrens interest in books need to be explored. Koskinen, Blum, Bisson, Phillips, Creamer and Baker (2000) examined the effects of a book-rich classroom, home-based reading, and home-based reading with audio taped books with native and nonnative English speakers. They found increased reading comprehension with the book-rich condition, with and without the home-based reading component. However, they found that home-based rereading of books increased students reading motivation and promoted parental involvement. In addition, they found the audio tape condition provided particular benets for children learning to speak English. Programs to support reading and discussing books at home have been developed and implemented (Barbour, 1998=99; Dever, 2001). In two such programs, bags containing highquality childrens books along with suggested extension activities for children and their parents to do together were sent home with children. Barbour noted that this simple strategy for supporting literacy development is one way to reach all types of families, even those who typically do not participate in school-based events (e.g., low SES, nonnative English speakers). She also reported that the project was successful in bringing about mutual family=school support and promoting childrens learning. Furthermore, it became a family affair involving siblings, grandparents, and other family members. Findings from both studies (Barbour, 1998=99; Dever, 2001) suggest that children were eager to take the books home, were enthusiastic about their experiences with the books and activities, and talked about the books at school. In addition, availability of high-quality literature and materials made it easier for single and working parents to become meaningfully involved in their childrens learning, and parents made time for reading to their children (Barbour). Many parents noted that having books at home reminded them to read to their children and gave them new information about the breadth of childrens literature available. They also indicated that they learned about effective ways to read with their children (Dever).

Family Literacy Bags Project Description In general, the purpose of the Family Literacy Bags (FLB) project was to engage parents in learning at home activities focusing on literacy. More specically, the project was designed to: (a) increase parental involvement in book reading and related activities (e.g., number of books read, time spent reading, and time spent engaged in book related discussions and activities), (b) increase childrens involvement in book reading and related activities with other family members (e.g., extended family, older siblings), and (c) for kindergarten children to demonstrate initial and sustained interest in and enthusiasm using the FLB at home. Building on a pilot study (Dever, 2001), data were collected to determine whether the families used the FLB and the nature of their experiences with them. The FLB were distributed to all kindergarten teachers in one city and three rural school districts in the western United States. Each bag contained 3 high-quality childrens books of varying reading=developmental levels and genres, along with extension activities (some included writing) focused around a theme (e.g., buttons, change, gardening). With the exception of common household items such as pencils, all materials needed for the extension activities were included in the bags.

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FIGURE 1 Family literacy bag.

Each bag also contained a parent guidebook with information and guidelines for reading and discussing the books with children. These were explained to parents at Back to School Night. For example, parents were reminded of the importance of regular reading with their child, to read so that the child can see the text and illustrations, to allow the child to select the book(s) to be read, and to re-read books at the childs request. Guidelines for book discussions included open-ended questions specic to each book. Also included were suggested activities to extend the theme of the bag. Some of the FLB contained materials in Spanish and English (Fig. 1 is an example of a FLB.). Each teacher received 10 FLB per session of kindergarten s=he taught to ensure that each child in the class could take a FLB home for one week every third week. Teachers participated in an in-service meeting at the beginning of the school year prior to implementation of the project. The in-service focused on: (a) parent involvement in general and other strategies for involving parents representing diverse populations (b) the FLB as a specic parent involvement strategy (c) maintenance and use of the FLB, and (d) conducting action research to evaluate the FLB and to guide practice.

METHODS Participants All of the kindergarten teachers (N 65) in one city (N 14) and three rural school districts (N 51) in the western United States participated in this project. The subjects of this study were 2,340 families with whom these teachers worked (500 from city schools and 1840 from rural schools). Families in the geographic area are primarily white, middle-class, and

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members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Later Day Saints. Although the area is relatively homogenous, it is experiencing an increase in cultural and linguistic diversity, primarily native Spanish-speakers. For example, in the largest of the four districts the number of Hispanic children attending school increased from 3.3% of the total in 1995 to 7% of the total in 2000. In addition, Hispanic children represent the largest minority population of children with Native American, Asian, and African American children combined making up less than one percent of the total population (Chad Downs, personal communication, August 13, 2001). The major employers in the geographic area are a major state university, the school districts, and manufacturing companies.

Data Collection and Analysis Four data sources were used to describe the extent and nature of literacy behaviors related to the FLB project. Information was obtained from parents and teachers and quantitative and qualitative methods were used to analyze the data. Pre- and Post-Reading Books at Home Questionnaire (available in Spanish and English) Parents were asked by teachers to complete a one-page questionnaire prior to distribution of the FLB at the beginning of the school year and again at the end of the school year after using the FLB. This measure was used to ascertain parents reading habits with their kindergarten child including: (a) frequency, (b) amount of time spent reading, (c) person(s) reading with the child, (d) quality and variety of books, and (f) frequency of book discussions they have with their child. Most respondents completed the pre-Reading Books at Home Questionnaire during the initial parent teacher conference at the beginning of the school year which yielded a return rate of 72% (N l712). The post-survey was sent home to all participating families in late March with reminders sent twice in April yielding a 42% return rate (N 1010). Dependent t-tests and Effect Sizes were calculated on the pre- and post- surveys to identify statistically or practically signicant mean differences in parents home reading behaviors. Parent FLB Evaluation Form (available in Spanish and English) Parents completed an FLB Evaluation form, included in the bags, each time they were sent home. Respondents indicated the degree (none, some, all) to which: (a) they enjoyed the books, (b) they re-read the books, (c) they enjoyed the extension activities, and (d) the information in the guidebook was helpful. A systematic random sample (N 442) of the 2653 FLB Evaluation forms returned was selected for analysis. The selection was made by numbering the total returned surveys, randomly selecting a number between one and six (number two was drawn from a cup), then, beginning with the second survey, selecting every sixth survey thereafter (to obtain approximately 15% of the total). Percent of responses in each category were calculated on the likert scale items on the FLB Evaluation form. Respondents also provided written comments about their experiences with the FLB which were qualitatively analyzed. Teachers Qualitative Survey At the end of the school year, teachers responded to openended questions regarding what they viewed as strengths and weaknesses of the FLB project. Specically, teachers were asked to indicate what they liked about the project, what they found challenging, what they will continue to do in the future, and what they will do differently in the future. Sixty-six percent (N 43) of the Teachers Qualitative Surveys were returned. The responses to open-ended questions were qualitatively analyzed.

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Teachers Anecdotes Teachers recorded anecdotes throughout the school year including students and parents responses to the FLB project. They wrote their own reections as well. Responses to the open-ended questions of the Parent FLB Evaluation form, the Teachers Qualitative Survey, and teachers anecdotes provided insight into the families experiences with the FLB project. These data were analyzed using the constant comparative method. Data analysis was on-going as categories were identied and rened. An audit trail was created as units of analysis were isolated, compared with other units, and categorized based on common characteristics. Trustworthiness was ensured with the use of peer examiners and referential adequacy. First, two research assistants served as peer examiners to determine whether the coding scheme made sense and note consistency in the coding. Only seven discrepancies were identied during this process. These discrepancies were discussed and consensus reached on how they should be coded. In addition, after data analysis was competed, one research assistant analyzed an archived data set to further verify the utility of the coding scheme. Utility of the coding was conrmed with no discrepancies noted.

RESULTS The purpose of project was to: (a) increase parental involvement in book reading and related activities (e.g. number of books read, time spent reading, and time spent engaged in book related discussions and activities), (b) increase childrens involvement in book reading and related activities with other family members (e.g. extended family, older siblings), and (c) for kindergarten children to demonstrate initial and sustained interest in and enthusiasm using the FLB at home. Quantitative and qualitative data were collected to determine the extent to which the purpose of the project was met. Results indicate that families used the FLB and that they enjoyed and engaged in book reading and related activities found in the FLB. Data indicate that they engaged in book reading more than the related activities. Figure 2 shows the percent of responses in each category indicating the extent to which books were read and re-read, the activities were enjoyed, and the guidelines were helpful. For example, most respondents (82%) enjoyed all of the books in the bag while just under half (45%) enjoyed all of the activities. These data suggest the families used the FLB fairly extensively. Dependent t-tests and Effect Sizes were calculated on the Pre- and Post-Reading Books at Home Questionnaires where parents characterized reading behaviors at home. While all means increased from the beginning to the end of the school year, none increased at a statistically or practically signicant level. This suggests that families were already engaging in reading at home at the onset of this inquiry. For example, families were reading 35 times per week as indicated by the pre- and post-surveys (X 3.2; X 3.4 respectively). Respondents were reading 34 books per week as indicated by the pre- and post-surveys (X 3.3; X 3.4

Enjoyed books
All Some None No response 82% 17% 1%

Read books more than once

31% 42% 24% 3%

Enjoyed activities
45% 44% 8% 3%

Information helpful
58% 35% 3% 4%

FIGURE 2

Family participation in FLB project.

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respectively). Based on the pre- and post- surveys, respondents were spending about 30 minutes to an 1 hour per week reading (X 2.2; X 2.4 respectively). We can conclude, however, that the FLB project contributed to continued reading at home based on the data presented in Figure 2 as well as the qualitative ndings. The qualitative data serve to enrich our understanding of responses to the FLB by providing insight into how families used them. Four major themes emerged from the qualitative data obtained from the Parent FLB Evaluation forms, the Teacher Qualitative Survey, and teachers anecdotal notes. The theme, Organization, related to the overall structure and contents of the FLB including the selection of the items to be included and the thematic organizational structure. Information emerged as a theme encompassing things parents learned from using the FLB including information about reading and interacting with children as well as things they learned about their child. Also included under the category Information, are units of analysis that related to content of the books and guidebooks in the FLB. A third theme, Engagement, encompassed statements about parents and childrens interest in the project. Finally, the theme Opportunity included statements about the quality of the time spent and time for interaction between parents and children.

Organization In general, parents responded favorably to the organization of the FLB. One parent summed it by saying, Everything is kept together even things for the activities. I didnt have to buy anything like paper plates, etc. Others expressed appreciation for the hands on materials, . . . the assortment of books, the . . . new and different books, or simply stated, I like all the thing have [sic] in the bag. The use of themes as an organizational structure was also positively received. Parents noted, I liked how it had a theme; and, wonderful books, all different yet with a common link. A parent noted the usefulness of the theme approach as a teaching tool commenting, It is very nice to have the units already formed. We can spend the whole week reinforcing that subject. The inclusion of Spanish materials along with the English materials received mixed reactions. Some nonSpanish speaking parents enjoyed sharing the Spanish and English materials with their children. Comments included, [The children] liked trying to read the Spanish translation; and It was fun to see the same books in Spanish; Some also noted it as a benet to Spanish speakers. I think having the Spanish version of the book is a good thing for those who speak the language. Most Spanish-speaking families appreciated having the books and materials in their native language. A response translated from Spanish noted, If I want to read books in Spanish its good because I dont understand much reading him [sic] in English. Another commented in English, I learned and my family read in the both language [sic]. Some native English-speaking parents did not appreciate the inclusion of Spanish materials. When asked if there was anything they did not like about the FLB, one parent commented, Spanish book cannot read Spanish. Others elaborated, I dont like having to keep track of Spanish books, etc. when they dont apply to my child; and, We do not like getting both Spanish and English books there are too many books to worry about. Please send English only. Another commented,
Would be easier to have separate English and Spanish book bagsmore to keep stufng back into the bag that we dont use and to keep track of. He keeps asking me to read the Spanish version. I had to keep telling him that I dont speak Spanish.

Spanish-speaking parents expressed different reasons for responding negatively to the inclusion of Spanish materials in the bags. One teacher shared a concern a Hispanic parents

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concern noting that some stories loose meaning when they are translated into Spanish. One Spanish-speaking parent was concerned that his=her children needed to learn English and felt the inclusion of Spanish materials was inappropriate. This parent commented,
I do not understand why books in Spanish have been sent to us. We do not have any language problems. We want our child develops [sic] his best potentials. If we force him to read in Spanish, I am afraid he would be at disadvantage. My child need to learn English vocabulary at school. Spanish for him is not very important (he speaks Spanish and read and write it [sic]). I want Spanish has been taught [sic] at home by parents and English be taught at school. I am not against you send us books in Spanish but always with the English version.

Information Three sub-themes emerged from this category: (a) information related to learning about reading and doing reading related activities with children, (b) information about the child, and (c) information related to the content of the books. Information related to learning about reading and doing reading related activities Data indicate that parents learned various things ranging from acquainting themselves with the diversity of available childrens books to the many ways to interact with children during book reading. Some parents appreciated learning about the variety of childrens books available. Parents noted, It was fun reading new books, and they expressed appreciation for becoming familiar with new stories. One parent noted, We read some books that we probably wouldnt have. Furthermore, parents learned that there are books available to help children learn. One commented, I guess what I liked most was that until these books came home, I didnt really know there were books you could read and learn about math and counting etc. Although we have noted that most families in this inquiry read at home, a teacher shared, . . . parents report really appreciating the ideas and helps. Parents indicated that the guidebooks included, good questions for discussion, that [they] liked all the suggestions on how to present the book; and that the activities were fun. This parent added, My son liked the idea of making his own book. Other parents learned the importance of (or were reminded of) making book reading interactive. One noted, The suggested activities were helpful. We learned to be more interactive instead of just reading the book. Others indicated, I need to think more creatively and not just plough through a book to get to the end; and, It made me realize that I needed to do more than just read a book to my kids. The discussion questions helped parents make reading more interactive. They commented, I liked how it was more than just reading a book. It gave questions to discuss so my child was able to really think about what we read; and, Its important to discuss material that you read with your child. After enjoying a FLB of Tomie de Paola books, a parent indicated having learned something new noting, We read together but I rarely ask questions or come up with activities that correlate with the stories. It was nice to have the questions and activities provided to give me some ideas. Another parent indicated s=he would generalize the information on discussing books to other reading situations noting, The suggested activities and questions help to give me ideas of the types of things to discuss. Information about the child The FLB project led parents to learn new things about their children. One parent commented, [the project] gave me a chance to have more insight into the way my child thinks. I learned more about my child. Another parent was . . . amazed at how much my child remembered after reading the books just once. That memory expanded

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as each book was read again and again. Another noted that his=her daughter, . . . could answer all the questions easily. She knew the meaning of faithful and responsibility. Information related to the content of the books Parent reaction to the content of the books was overwhelmingly positive. One positive comment related to the vocabulary in the book. [I think] the vocabulary in the snake book was hard but it was good to teach new words. Other positive comments related to the theme of specic FLB or books. One parented observed, the Little Red Hen made my child realize that she has to work sometimes to get things accomplished. Several comments referred to a FLB with a theme having to do with emotions. For example, one parent noted, [The book] helps the child realize his different moods. Another observed that, The stories all presented feelings in a different and creative way which encouraged different ways of looking at and discussing feelings with my child. Another simply noted, I liked the theme teaching kids that they are special. Content of some books were judged by parents as too difcult or to have inappropriate content. A parent noted, I think some of the books were a little too hard for a 5-yearold to understand. Other observations included, I didnt really like the math in both books. I think most of it was over my childs head; My children didnt understand all of the Knots on a Counting Rope and My Great Aunt Arizona; and, the Dr. Seuss book is [sic] too deep for kindergarten level. Negative comments about specic books were quite idiosyncratic. Engagement The category Engagement encompasses any units of analysis that demonstrated childrens engagement and interest in the books and=or related activities. Some comments simply indicated the FLB experience was enjoyable while others related to the content of books. Comments about engagement with the content of the books were both negative and positive. One teacher shared, The kids love taking [FLB] home. They cant wait for their turn. A teacher declared her favorite thing about the project was, children being sad that they didnt get one [this week]. None of the teachers noted that the children tired of taking the FLB home. Generally, parents comments were consistent with teachers; one noted, My children enjoy story time and having new books to read. Similarly, others noted, The books were fun and interesting to both my child and myself; and, It was fun to read new books. One parent suggested the project provides an opportunity to stimulate our childs interest in reading at this time in her life. The content of the books was interesting to many families. Parents noted, stories were easy to stay along with kids stayed interested throughout the whole book; and, the pictures and story content kept my childs interest well. One commented on a FLB of Eric Carle books noting, We really enjoyed this authors books. While children seemed to maintain enthusiasm for the project, one teacher noted, [The project] started out wonderfully but, parents tire of it as the year goes on. They dont want one more thing to do with their child [that comes from school]. They are tired of homework too. Another teacher reported that a parent in her classroom sent the artifacts created from the FLB experience back to school . . . as if it were homework. She explained to the parent that such accountability was unnecessary. Parents had a few negative responses regarding their childrens engagement with the books. One parent noted, My daughter didnt follow along with Puddles very well. Others noted that two of the books were kind of lacking and the illustrations were confusing; and,

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Some books are below the childs interest level. Some did not nd the suggested activities engaging. One parent simply noted, Some of it was annoying because of the busy work. Opportunity The category Opportunity encompasses units of analysis related to opportunities provided by the project. Generally, parents found opportunities to interact with their children around book reading and time to read and engage in book-related activities. Comments related primarily to the quality of time spent in book reading and related activities and opportunities to teach the child. One teacher said she felt, . . . parents are really reading more to their children because of [the FLB]. Parents noted that they liked being able to spend some time reading with [their children] and having . . . a good reason to spend quiet quality time with our child. Another said, It reminded me how important it is to spend time with my child. Many parents made similar comments. A few parents indicated that the FLB provided the opportunity to teach their child. One shared, We like the opportunity to discuss different emotions with our daughter. Similarly, [the project] gives us time to spend with our children and helps us to ask good questions. As Figure 2 indicates, parents were more likely to read to their children than to engage in reading related activities. One parent commented. We often dont have time for the activity as we usually read before bed. Another parent indicated, we did not do the activities this time but will make it a point to do them next time.

DISCUSSION The rst goal of this project was to increase parental involvement in book reading and related activities. In general, families indicated they did use the FLB which suggests that the project encouraged reading and interacting with books at home. Furthermore, families learned some things about reading with their child. While families generally engaged in regular reading at home prior to the project, parents were reminded to (or learned to) make book reading interactive and they expanded their understanding of effective ways to accomplish this. For example, both parents and teachers indicated that the guiding discussion questions assisted parents and childrens discussions of books. Other ndings suggest that parents learned of new book titles and they learned that books can be used to teach children concepts. Some indicated that the theme approach enabled them to discuss a topic (feelings, for example) in depth. Finally, parents garnered information about their children in the context of the FLB project including their childrens varied interests and developing skills. Although not wide-spread, the negative reaction to the inclusion of Spanish materials was prominent enough that it is worth discussing. Parent education should highlight the importance of acknowledging and valuing families from diverse cultural backgrounds. Availability of books in the language of others provides a rich opportunity to learn about others. Learning to value our differences is perhaps worth the inconvenience of keeping track of books and materials in two languages. With both Spanish and English books available, Spanish-speaking families learn that their native culture and language are valued. Children continue to learn in their native language as they become increasingly procient with English. Similarly, English-speaking parents can capitalize on this opportunity to learn about the language of their Spanish-speaking neigh-

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bors. They can talk with their children about how all children enjoy stories and that many stories are written in more than one language. The second project goal addressed increasing childrens involvement in book reading and related activities with other family members. The data suggest that various family members were already engaged in reading with the children. Unlike Barbour (1998=99), no increase in involvement by other family members was found in this project. The nal project goal was to create initial and sustained interest in and enthusiasm for using the FLB on part the children. The positive response of parents and teachers about childrens enthusiasm for taking home a FLB indicate childrens initial interest in the FLB. Furthermore, there is no indication that children became tired of taking the FLB home suggesting their interest was sustained. However, some parents became weary of children bringing home homework, including FLBs, a nding that has two implications. First, perhaps teachers should critically analyze homework expectations to be certain that the homework merits asking busy families to spend precious time on it. Studies (Ortiz et al., 2001; Robinson et al. 1995, 1996, 1997) suggest that reading at home is a valuable activity and might take priority over other activities. Second, teachers need to promote the FLB project as an enjoyable family activity and not a laborious homework task. The ndings from this inquiry are consistent with other research ndings (Barbour, 1998=99; Dever, 2001; Ortiz, 2001; Robinson et al. 1995, 1996, 1997) that suggest innovations such as the FLB project encourage parents to read with their children. Furthermore, these ndings extend our understand of what families learn via home book reading projects and how they can provide a vehicle for parent education. These data were collected in a predominately rural, middle class area where reading at home was already valued. Further research is needed to address potential benets and effective ways to implement the FLB project with parents who have limited literacy skills, inadequate understanding of how to read with their children, and little time to spend reading. Further research is also needed to determine whether there is a causal effect between innovations such as the FLB project and childrens reading achievement. Acknowledgments The Family Literacy Bags project was made possible by a Goals 2000 grant in Utah (USA) and the Emma Eccles Jones Center for Early Childhood Education at Utah State University. References
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