Characteristics of ESL family literacy programmes: a systematic literature review

Abstract

Family literacy programmes have been considered as an effective educational approach involving every member of the family unit. This systematic literature review (SLR) presents family literacy programmes tailored for English as a second language (ESL) families with preschool and primary school children. The article aims to analyse the characteristics of ESL family literacy programmes using the PRISMA method. To achieve this, databases including Scopus, Taylor & Francis, ERIC, ScienceDirect and ResearchGate were searched for articles published within the last 10 years (2015–2024). A total of seven articles were identified as eligible for analysis. The findings revealed several key characteristics, including programme names like ‘Bedtime Story Shelf’ and ‘Ready and Healthy for Kindergarten’. Settings varied from homes to schools and a library, with durations ranging from 1 to 9 months. Reading activities emerged as the foremost component in key activities across all studies. The findings also revealed the use of diverse resources, including books, audio/multimedia and writing materials, suggesting a multimodal approach, a key tenet of New Literacy Study.

Keywords

• Family literacy programme
• systematic literature review
• early childhood education
• English as a second language
• parental involvement
• Bilingualism/ESL