Bedtime Stories and Book Reports : Connecting Parent Involvement in Family Literacy

Bedtime Stories and Book Reports is the right book at the right time… The editors have gathered an impressive group of researchers and practitioners to provide insights into working with families in productive and empowering ways. . . . Happy reading!” —Patricia A. Edwards, president, International Reading Association, 2010-2011. “The fundamental ideological orientation of the volume’s authors is to set right the prevailing parents-as-problem orientation sometimes put forward by school administrators, teachers, and policymakers.” —From the Afterword by Shirley Brice Heath, professor emerita, Stanford University. “Children can't reach their full potential for literacy development without the participation of parents. The editors have brought together an excellent group of authors who provide new information and a hopeful look at family literacy. This is a must-read.” —Lesley Morrow, Graduate School of Education, Rutgers University. This book brings together the newest research on parent involvement and family literacy—two strands of research that rarely exist in conversation with one another. The discussion highlights how race, class, gender, and history serve as potent factors that shape children’s school experiences. Each chapter offers portraits of real families and schools that illustrate parents’ awareness of their children’s school progress, their perceptions of teachers, and their involvement in teaching their children life lessons that extend beyond school achievement. Translating theory into action, this resource: Extends conversations about parent involvement and family literacy across time and multiple spaces—home, school, church, and community; Challenges accepted notions by listening to parents’ counter-stories of how they are involved with their children both in and out of school; Highlights the significance of race, class, gender, religion, sexual preference, and history in literacy learning and schooling.