Family literacy is founded on the premise that parents are a child’s first and best teacher, and a child’s home its first school.

But what if a parent doesn’t know how to read, or knows how to read, but doesn’t have the skills necessary to help his or her child get ready to read, or can read and write, but not in English?

Family literacy programs include adult education, child education, and interactive parent/child activities and education. Although all of the resources on this website support literacy by the very nature of singing, the songs, activities, and information in this section specifically support family literacy programs. Like everything else on this website, it’s all free, so please use and share!

Although not everyone can read, everyone can sing. So there is no “teaching,” just doing! In fact, the American Library Association has identified singing as one of the five practices, or activities parents can do with their children to build early literacy skills.

Simply telling parents that when they sing with their children they're helping to get them ready to read empowers them to use the abilities they already have.

• Singing is interactive language, so parents and children can do it together.

• Singing is portable literacy, not limited to sitting with a book, but done throughout the day.

• Singing together builds relationships, reinforcing the parent child literacy connection.

• Singing is fun, engaging, and celebrates different family cultures and traditions.