Designing an Intergenerational Literacy Program for Teen Parents and their Children

Abstract

Intergenerational literacy programs (i.e. family literacy programs) seek to raise the literacy level of both parent and child by linking their education and treating them as a learning unit. Though intergenerational literacy programs are typically used in Adult Basic Education settings, high school reading specialists who work with teen parents should consider using this model. An intergenerational literacy program has the potential to both motivate struggling readers by leveraging their interest in their children and improve their children’s literacy. This paper explores the design and implementation of an intergenerational literacy program for teen parents within a high school context by presenting the research on intergenerational literacy programs, early literacy development, and parenting teens. The paper concludes by offering reading specialists general principles and a curriculum outline for conducting such a course.