Handbook of Literacy in Families and Communities
Published on 17. June 2025
Book
Hardback
418 pages
978-1-0353-2697-6 (ISBN)
Description
This cutting-edge Handbook explores the interactive and intergenerational nature of literacy across diverse environments, considering how disadvantaged families can be better supported through tailored programs. It provides an extensive exploration of family literacy, covering early childhood development, parenting education, and intervention services.
Renowned experts outline multimodal and multilingual literacy practices and examine the role of community initiatives such as after-school programs and in-home book gifting, highlighting their impact on literacy and cultural preservation. Chapters propose frameworks for implementing culturally responsive education, providing novel perspectives on the role of mobile applications in heritage language literacy and on raising multilingual children. Ultimately, the Handbook illustrates the significance of family and community literacy, using case studies to present strategies which aid childhood literacy development.
The Handbook of Literacy in Families and Communities is vital for students and scholars in sociology, family and gender studies, cultural studies, development studies and educational studies. Its streamlined approach to literacy practices makes it an essential resource for practitioners in social work and linguistics.
Renowned experts outline multimodal and multilingual literacy practices and examine the role of community initiatives such as after-school programs and in-home book gifting, highlighting their impact on literacy and cultural preservation. Chapters propose frameworks for implementing culturally responsive education, providing novel perspectives on the role of mobile applications in heritage language literacy and on raising multilingual children. Ultimately, the Handbook illustrates the significance of family and community literacy, using case studies to present strategies which aid childhood literacy development.
The Handbook of Literacy in Families and Communities is vital for students and scholars in sociology, family and gender studies, cultural studies, development studies and educational studies. Its streamlined approach to literacy practices makes it an essential resource for practitioners in social work and linguistics.
Reviews / Votes
'Edwards, Compton-Lilly, and Li curate a rich and wide array of studies featuring both national and transnational contexts. The research provides textured and insightful accounts of the literate lives and learning of families, ones which are too often invisible in formal schooling settings. The Handbook powerfully honors robust linguistic and cultural pluralism, challenging deficit ideologies of communities while charting a vision that can help us build mutual and just educational partnerships. The Handbook of Literacy in Families and Communities will be indispensable reading for years to come.' -- - Gerald Campano, University of Pennsylvania, USA 'The Handbook of Literacy in Families and Communities is an important contribution to the field of education. With many other topics taking front and center recently a book about family is needed. This Handbook is comprehensive, research based, and an excellent resource for educators at all grade levels.' -- Lesley M. Morrow, Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey, New Brunswick, USA 'Too often, the role of families has been overlooked, lost in the important equation of teaching and learning of young children. This Handbook addresses these important topics from a global perspective through a lens that shows deep respect for families, and demonstrates how cultural and linguistic diversity are important assets in children's learning. Throughout the chapters are vivid accounts of innovative programs, backed by solid evidence that show how equity-oriented, culturally responsive strategies can make a difference in family lives. It argues for a two-generation approach-parents and children, together forming a dynamic foundation for educational success. This Handbook is long overdue.' -- Susan Neuman, Steinhardt School of Culture, Education, and Human Development, New York University, USA 'This Handbook promises to be a new landmark in the field of family literacy studies. It includes an impressive group of researchers, teacher educators, and mother/scholars focused on equitable flows of knowledge between families, teachers, community programs, PK-12 school systems, and teacher education. The Handbook is accessible and thoughtfully compiled and features a diverse array of approaches and empirical research grounded in history and relevant to recent developments in the field. Collectively, the authors shine a light on the expanding relevance of family literacy scholarship in our global, multilingual world. Essential reading for experienced and novice researchers and educational practitioners.' -- Rebecca Rogers, University of Missouri-St. Louis, USAMore details
Series
Language
English
Place of publication
Cheltenham
United Kingdom
Target group
Professional and scholarly
Dimensions
Height: 234 mm
Width: 156 mm
ISBN-13
978-1-0353-2697-6 (9781035326976)
Copyright in bibliographic data and cover images is held by Nielsen Book Services Limited or by the publishers or by their respective licensors: all rights reserved.
Schweitzer Classification
Persons
Edited by Patricia A. Edwards, University Distinguished Professor, College of Education, Department of Teacher Education, Michigan State University, Catherine Compton-Lilly, John C. Hungerpiller Professor, Teacher Education Department, College of Education, University of South Carolina, USA and Guofang Li, Professor and Canada Research Chair (Tier 1) in Transnational/Global Perspectives of Language and Literacy Education, Department of Language and Literacy Education, Faculty of Education, University of British Columbia, Canada
Content
Contents
Introduction to Handbook of Literacy in Families and Communities xii
Patricia A. Edwards, Catherine Compton-Lilly and Guofang Li
1 Bedtime stories in the digital age: how interactive storybook apps
support caregivers' vocabulary talk 1
Lori Bruner
2 Transmodal family literacies: familial carino practices sustaining
children's bilingualism and biliteracy development 18
Heather L. Reichmuth and Lucia Cardenas Curiel
3 Are they digital children? Identifying the home digital literacy
practice of Chinese young children 35
Jinjin Lu, Feifei Han and Yuxiu Xu
4 "The Asian kids are quiet kids": A longitudinal autoethnographic
study of multilingual and biliteracy practices in the home context 53
Ting Huang and Aijuan Cun
5 Weaving transnational parent knowledge into family literacy:
an autobiographical narrative inquiry of raising multilingual
children 69
Emma Chen
6 Family literacy environment and family language policy and
planning in urban China: the role of habitus 85
Danwei Gao
7 "Glad that my digital skills are useful": the use of apps in heritage
language literacy by biracial Chinese adolescents 104
Jinyao Chang and Xiao Lan Curdt-Christiansen
8 Multimodal literacies of emergent bilingual siblings: traversing
the Southeastern US and Honduras 120
Sally Brown and Rong Zhang
9 Children's book provisions in a family literacy program: lowincome Latina mothers and their children 137
Jacqueline Lynch and Jennifer Mirabal
10 Multimodal meaning making practices in a community art center:
children's meaningful interaction and transformative designs 153
Xiaoxiao Du
11 "US and China can be friends for once": Chinese American
children engage in transnational literature in a community-based
book club during the pandemic 171
Wenyu Guo
12 More than a free storybook: the international impact of Dolly
Parton's Imagination Library 191
Chad H. Waldron and Caroline Zwierzchowska-Dod
13 Views of community in a community-school partnership?: A
historical document analysis of the Boston University-Chelsea
Schools Partnership 206
Christina L. Dobbs, Christine Montecillo Leider, Lolo
Serrano and Erin Nerlino
14 Exploring family literacy practices of Asian immigrant mothers
raising Korean-American children in the United States 221
Kyungjin Hwang
15 "Now i've started to like reading [in English only]': promises and
pitfalls of a university-community-school partnership program
for superdiverse students' literacy motivation and engagement 238
Guofang Li, H. Henny Yeung, Jonathan Ferreira, Ziwen Mei,
Sonoka Inomoto and Rachel Nelson
16 Learning from Indigenous families and communities in
international contexts: educational policies and possibilities 254
Catherine Compton-Lilly, Ching-Ting Hsin, Anna Howard
and Yixin Luu
17 Funds of knowledge as a foundational principle in early childhood
teacher education: towards cultural and linguistic sustainability
and educational equity 270
Ana Christina da Silva Iddings, Macarena A. Lamas Aicon,
Katherine Mahue Vasquez, Carola Aravena and Rojas
18 Shifting towards socially just family engagement: in-service
teachers' reflections and recommendations about teacher
preparation experiences 287
Patricia A. Edwards, Marliese R. Peltier, Jacquelyn Sweeney,
Heather L. Reichmuth, Kristen L. White, Ann Castle and
Darreth Rice
19 Exploring emergent bilinguals' home language and literacy
practices: teacher candidates' engagement in designing and
conducting child-centered interview activities 303
Jungmin Kwon and Chenlu Jin
20 Accessing families' literacies: a framework for equitable home
visits 321
Judy Paulick
21 Literacy histories, identities, and present day issues: learning from
a caregiver-teacher book club 337
Laura Szech
22 Learning that matters through the bio-ecological systems model 347
Laura Teichert and Elizabeth Isidro
23 "I'll play the role of you": a case study of multimodal literacy
practice with an international family 363
Yang Wang and Ling Hao
Introduction to Handbook of Literacy in Families and Communities xii
Patricia A. Edwards, Catherine Compton-Lilly and Guofang Li
1 Bedtime stories in the digital age: how interactive storybook apps
support caregivers' vocabulary talk 1
Lori Bruner
2 Transmodal family literacies: familial carino practices sustaining
children's bilingualism and biliteracy development 18
Heather L. Reichmuth and Lucia Cardenas Curiel
3 Are they digital children? Identifying the home digital literacy
practice of Chinese young children 35
Jinjin Lu, Feifei Han and Yuxiu Xu
4 "The Asian kids are quiet kids": A longitudinal autoethnographic
study of multilingual and biliteracy practices in the home context 53
Ting Huang and Aijuan Cun
5 Weaving transnational parent knowledge into family literacy:
an autobiographical narrative inquiry of raising multilingual
children 69
Emma Chen
6 Family literacy environment and family language policy and
planning in urban China: the role of habitus 85
Danwei Gao
7 "Glad that my digital skills are useful": the use of apps in heritage
language literacy by biracial Chinese adolescents 104
Jinyao Chang and Xiao Lan Curdt-Christiansen
8 Multimodal literacies of emergent bilingual siblings: traversing
the Southeastern US and Honduras 120
Sally Brown and Rong Zhang
9 Children's book provisions in a family literacy program: lowincome Latina mothers and their children 137
Jacqueline Lynch and Jennifer Mirabal
10 Multimodal meaning making practices in a community art center:
children's meaningful interaction and transformative designs 153
Xiaoxiao Du
11 "US and China can be friends for once": Chinese American
children engage in transnational literature in a community-based
book club during the pandemic 171
Wenyu Guo
12 More than a free storybook: the international impact of Dolly
Parton's Imagination Library 191
Chad H. Waldron and Caroline Zwierzchowska-Dod
13 Views of community in a community-school partnership?: A
historical document analysis of the Boston University-Chelsea
Schools Partnership 206
Christina L. Dobbs, Christine Montecillo Leider, Lolo
Serrano and Erin Nerlino
14 Exploring family literacy practices of Asian immigrant mothers
raising Korean-American children in the United States 221
Kyungjin Hwang
15 "Now i've started to like reading [in English only]': promises and
pitfalls of a university-community-school partnership program
for superdiverse students' literacy motivation and engagement 238
Guofang Li, H. Henny Yeung, Jonathan Ferreira, Ziwen Mei,
Sonoka Inomoto and Rachel Nelson
16 Learning from Indigenous families and communities in
international contexts: educational policies and possibilities 254
Catherine Compton-Lilly, Ching-Ting Hsin, Anna Howard
and Yixin Luu
17 Funds of knowledge as a foundational principle in early childhood
teacher education: towards cultural and linguistic sustainability
and educational equity 270
Ana Christina da Silva Iddings, Macarena A. Lamas Aicon,
Katherine Mahue Vasquez, Carola Aravena and Rojas
18 Shifting towards socially just family engagement: in-service
teachers' reflections and recommendations about teacher
preparation experiences 287
Patricia A. Edwards, Marliese R. Peltier, Jacquelyn Sweeney,
Heather L. Reichmuth, Kristen L. White, Ann Castle and
Darreth Rice
19 Exploring emergent bilinguals' home language and literacy
practices: teacher candidates' engagement in designing and
conducting child-centered interview activities 303
Jungmin Kwon and Chenlu Jin
20 Accessing families' literacies: a framework for equitable home
visits 321
Judy Paulick
21 Literacy histories, identities, and present day issues: learning from
a caregiver-teacher book club 337
Laura Szech
22 Learning that matters through the bio-ecological systems model 347
Laura Teichert and Elizabeth Isidro
23 "I'll play the role of you": a case study of multimodal literacy
practice with an international family 363
Yang Wang and Ling Hao