This family literacy program was a collaboration between the LVA Brazos Valley and the Even Start program at Bryam ISD Adult Learning Center. Parents used the computer laboratory to improve their own skills. Parents and children also worked together during Parent/Child Computer Time. This was the first experience with computers for virtually all of the families. The summary of outcomes includes:

Partnerships were important to the success of the project. Due to the creation of the family technology services, we worked more effectively to meet all of the needs of the students we served. We determined how our services could best compliment each other.

Parents with very limited English skills could successfully use the laboratory. They seemed to be the most excited about using the computer lab with their children. The educational software for children provided them with opportunities to work on very beginning vocabulary and spelling in a non-threatening atmosphere. During PACT time in the computer lab these parents did not feel the peer pressure they may normally experience in their adult education class. There was no stigma attached to playing a computer game with their young child. Because games reinforced their own skills, parents and children had incentives for returning to the lab.

As families used the lab, they learned basic computer skills and vocabulary. Learning how to use the mouse was challenging for most of the parents, but effortless for the children. Both parents and children mastered words like keyboard, mouse, mouse pad, monitor, CPU, click, arrow and cursor. . Additionally, parents participating in the computer literacy class acquired keyboarding and letter and resume writing skills.

Repeated use of the same software encouraged parents to continue. Confidence increased with continual use of the lab and of software. The children, of course, were very eager to play the computers games. Some of the parents were hesitant initially, but grew self-assured with regular use of the lab. Although we had a large selection of software programs, the families elected to use the same software time after time. We feel that this contributed to the growing confidence among our families in their use of the computers.

The computer lab improved attendance. Many of the parents indicated that learning to use a computer with their children was key for them.

Parents improved their literacy skills. ESOL parents learned basic concepts like counting in English with their children and colors. Using the lab as a family also offered the parents opportunities to read aloud to their children from the computer screen. Additionally, parents learned how to give their children step-by-step verbal instructions to complete a task. The latter served as a model for communications outside of the laboratory.

Back