Family & Community Adult Education Family Literacy
Massachusetts Family Literacy Consortium

Our vision is successful families. Our mission is successful partnershps.

November is Family Literacy Month

Dear Friends:

In recognition of the role parents play in their children's school success as well as the achievement of high educational standards in the Commonwealth, I am pleased to announce that Governor Deval Patrick has declared November 2007 as Family Literacy Month.

This celebration, sponsored by the Massachusetts Family Literacy Consortium (MFLC) and its member agencies, underscores the importance of education as a foundation for lifelong learning and family success. The MFLC, a statewide partnership of 14 state agencies including the Department of Early Education and Care and the Department of Elementary and Secondary Education, statewide and community organizations, parents, and other interested parties, is working to increase communication and collaboration among education and human service systems. Its members provide education, health, employment, and human services and work toward the common purpose of helping families achieve self-sufficiency and independence.

Students of all ages do better in school when they are reading, writing, and participating in literacy and other learning activities with their families. Family Literacy Month provides an opportunity to support the whole child in out of school learning, engage parents in supporting their children's education, and engage community partners in supporting lifelong learning and family well being.

During annual celebrations of Family Literacy Month over the past ten years, community partners including schools, libraries, adult literacy programs, parent support programs, social service agencies, businesses, and other stakeholders have organized effective activities for families including: read alouds with authors and community leaders; read-a-thons; bookmaking and storytelling projects; numeracy and problem solving activities; book giveaways; discounts on books and educational games; and trips to museums, historic sites, and natural landmarks.

Our website has resources to help communities get started:

	Governor Patrick's 2007 Proclamation of Massachusetts Family Literacy Month
	A Guide to Celebrating Massachusetts Family Literacy Month
	The Family Literacy Day page of the National Center for Family Literacy website
	The Parents page of the U.S. Department of Education website

I invite you to take advantage of this occasion to involve parents and families in education and help us make Family Literacy Month a vibrant tradition in the Commonwealth. We are collecting information about community events and posting it on our website. If you would like to post information about your event(s), please e-mail MFLC@doe.mass.edu with the following information:

• A Brief Description of the Event
• Date, Time, and Place
• Time and Length of Event
• Target Audience
• The Contact Person's Name, Phone, and E-mail

Together, we can build successful partnerships that will help us achieve success for all Massachusetts students. Thank you.