Intergenerational Family Literacy:
A Head Start/Older Adult Partnership

Funded by the National Institute for Literacy
October 1, 1992- September 30, 1993

In the fall of 1992, Generations Together: An Intergenerational Studies Program at the University of Pittsburgh started an Intergenerational Family Literacy project, one of 36 projects that received funding from the newly-created National Institute for Literacy (NIFL).

This project demonstrated the use of older adult mentors to improve Head Start parents' ability to aid and encourage the development of their children's literacy. It was a collaborative effort involving Generations Together, two Western Pennsylvania Head Start programs, two literacy programs, and the local aging-service network. The project addressed disadvantaged Head Start parents' need for programs that improve their children's literacy and the need to demonstrate a model, replicable across the United States, of how to conduct such a program.

The Head Start programs serve economically disadvantaged, multi-ethnic (African American, Asian, European American, and Native American) living in the kinds of communities (urban, small town, suburban, rural) in which this program could be replicated nationwide.

In the model, 9 older adults made weekly home visits to the families of children from Head Start classrooms. The older adults mentored the parents in basic parenting skills and prepared them to reinforce their children's literacy development as they prep are for entry into kindergarten. They modeled literacy-building activities, involved family members in special projects, read stories, organized field trips, and explained the connection between an enriched, print-rich environment and a child's interest in reading.

Generations Together and the local Head Start staff recruited the older adult mentors. The Greater Pittsburgh Literacy Council and the Penn State/Beaver Adult Literacy Action programs trained the mentors in family literacy concepts and skills; Head Start program staff trained the mentors to work with parents in their homes.

Generations Together conducted a formative and summative evaluation of the demonstration model. In addition, the University of Pittsburgh program documented the project in order to prepare guidelines for replicating the intergenerational family literacy work with Head Start parents and families.

Project outcomes and benefits included:

• Increased promotion of family literacy.
• Greater recognition by parents of the critical role they play in the development of their children's literacy skills.
• Greater enthusiasm by parents for sharing literacy activities with their children.
• Supportive intergenerational relationships established between the older adults and the young parents.
• Older adults trained as effective literacy mentors.
• A successful program model documented and disseminated.

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