ABSTRACT

Most family literacy programs include classes, workshops, or other services that help adult caregivers pursue their educational and/or vocational goals, develop their language and literacy skills, and learn about and support their children’s education and development. This chapter examines education for adults within family literacy programs, along with documented outcomes for adult learners. The chapter first describes why adult education is needed in family literacy programming and summarizes principles of effective adult education instruction. The authors then outline three common adult education services (adult basic education and literacy, high school equivalency, and language instruction), followed by an example illustrating what adult education instruction looks like in one program. The chapter concludes by summarizing the extant empirical research on the outcomes of adults who participate in family literacy programs.