Our vision is successful families. Our mission is successful partnershps.
The Massachusetts Family Literacy Consortium (MFLC) is a statewide initiative with the mission of forging effective partnerships among state agencies, community organizations, and other interested parties to expand and strengthen family literacy and support.
MFLC members believe that the comprehensive integration of our respective services can add up to so much more than the sum of their separate parts - and that family literacy is a catalyst for collaboration and integration.
The MFLC promotes family engagement and family literacy because 40 years of research show that family engagement is a strong predictor of children's reading and academic success and, further, that families, parents, and caregivers play indispensable roles in their children's cognitive, social, and emotional development.
Family literacy helps parents improve their literacy skills and the literacy skills of their children. In fact, national and international research documents an intergenerational transfer of parents' literacy to their children.
Literate parents help their children develop the literacy-related knowledge and skills that insure success in learning to read. Some children develop these critical skills in high quality early care and education facilities but many children lack access to such facilities. Large numbers of children depend on their parents to help them develop the early literacy-related knowledge and skills they need.
Literate parents are better prepared to support their children's learning during the school years, as well. Schools count on parents for support such as reading to children and helping them with homework. But low literacy parents and adult speakers of other languages may themselves need support in order to contribute to their children's learning. Literate parents know more about schools and are able to help their children negotiate the many demands of schools.
Parents are often said to be their children's first and most influential teachers. Family literacy seeks to make sure all parents are successful in this role for the benefit of families, schools, and communities.
The MFLC promotes awareness of the value and benefit of family literacy; provides family literacy products and training; and creates opportunities for collaboration in local communities and at the state level.
The MFLC works with public and private partners, including parents and adult education providers, to support family literacy in order to promote early literacy and reading proficiency by the end of third grade.
The MFLC is comprised of state agencies, community organizations, parents, and providers who work with families and children. The following agencies and programs are represented on the MFLC.
Last Updated: January 21, 2014
Kathy Rodriguez, MFLC Coordinator ACLS 135 Santilli Highway Everett, MA 02149 Fax: 781-338-3394 MFLC@doe.mass.edu
Regina Sarantopoulos ACLS Support Staff Send requests for MFLC materials to: reginas@doe.mass.edu
Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education 135 Santilli Highway, Everett, MA 02149
Voice: (781) 338-3000 TTY: (800) 439-2370
Disclaimer: A reference in this website to any specific commercial products, processes, or services, or the use of any trade, firm, or corporation name is for the information and convenience of the public and does not constitute endorsement or recommendation by the Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education.