ABSTRACT
Much has beenmade of the construct of family literacywith, at times, the impression given that family literacy is primarily responsible for the academic success of children and the future of the country as awhole! The exact nature of the construct of family literacy, however, is currently a matter of varying beliefs, if not outright debate (Purcell-Gates, 2000). Many use the term family literacy to represent certain practices in which parents should engage with their children that will help them succeed in school. This lens on family literacy is instantiated in the many programs in place to teach parents these skills and practices (Darling & Hayes, 1996). Others argue that family literacy programs that take this stance fail to recognize the societal factors that are primarily responsible for children of poverty failing to succeed in school (Auerbach, 1995). These theorists remind us that the notion of family literacy came about through ethnographic research into the different ways that families weave literate practices throughout their daily activities (Taylor, 1997). Thus, family literacy is intended to be a descriptive construct, not a prescriptive one. My goal for this chapter is to contribute some specificity to the discussion by focusing on a crucial outcome of family literacy for the young children in the family: the emerging knowledge of the functions and forms of written language. This, I believe, will help us to understand the significance of the descriptive lens on family literacy and to make more valid recommendations for family literacy programs.
