Parenting education, combined with adult basic education and early childhood education, makes the Even Start program a unified family literacy program which helps to break the intergenerational cycle of poverty and low literacy. Research studies have shown that the Even Start program has positive effects on its participants. Even though some of the effects are not explicitly tied to parenting education, they are closely related to parenting education. This study investigated the effectiveness of parenting education as perceived by its participants. The purposes of this study were to identify Even Start program participants' perceptions of parenting education, to explore issues related to parenting education, and to identify the impact of parenting education as perceived by the program participants. The interviewed parents considered parenting education an important component of the Even Start family literacy program. Findings in this study revealed how the participants used what they had learned in the parenting classes, incorporating their improved literacy skills to facilitate the growth of the whole family. According to the study participants, parenting classes provided a safe and comfortable environment for the parents to learn or validate their parenting practices, to identify themselves with each other, to build up a network of support system, and to practice their literacy skills in a context related to their everyday life. Since their participation in the parenting education, the study participants reported attainment of new insights about being a good parent, better communication with their children and other family members, improved education experience for their children, prolonged parenting values and practices, and improved family relationships. Using Bronfenbrenner's ecology model to look at the family literacy program, parenting education appeared to be the linkage between all components.

The Handbook of Family Literacy, 2e, provides the most comprehensive, up-to-date coverage of family literacy of any available book. It documents the need for literacy education for children and parents, describes early literacy and math development within the home, analyses interventions in home and center settings, and examines the issues faced by fathers and women with low literacy skills. Cultural issues are examined especially those for Hispanic, African American, American Indian, Alaskan Native, and migrant populations. Noted experts throughout the United States, Canada, England, the Netherlands, Germany, New Zealand, and South Africa analyze the commonalities and differences of family literacy across cultures and families. Key features include the following. Comprehensive - Provides updated information on the relation between early childhood literacy development, parenting education, and intervention services. Research Focus - Provides an extensive review of experimental studies, including national reviews and meta-analyses on family literacy. Practice Focus - Provides a comprehensive treatment of family literacy interventions necessary for program developers, policy makers, and researchers. Diversity Focus - Provides detailed information on cultural and diversity issues for guiding interventions, policy, and research. International Focus - Provides an international perspective on family literacy services that informs program developers, researchers, and policy makers across countries. Evaluation Focus - Provides detailed guidelines for ensuring program quality and fidelity and a valuable new evaluation perspective based on implementation science. This book is essential reading for anyone - researchers, program developers, students, practitioners, and policy makers - who needs to be knowledgeable about intervention issues, family needs, program developments, and research outcomes in family literacy.