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Rationale for two locally developed accredited Family Learning modules (discontinued):

Family learning courses are aimed at parent/carers/those who work with children, who want to help support children’s learning and who may also wish to work on their own literacy. In many cases participating in a family learning course represents the first step back into education and on to further education classes. More information about family literacy courses can be found in ‘Working Together’ Approaches to Family Literacy, NALA: 2004.

Clare Family Learning Project has experience in researching, developing and delivering family learning courses throughout Co. Clare. Its Family Learning Resource pack for parents of children 0 – 7 is well known.

Learning Skills and Home Study Skills were designed as follow ups to broaden the projects initial work in family learning. They are the result of requests from participants in the early years programme for something that would continue to support children through primary school and that might also be accredited. These modules Learning Skills and Home Study Skills have evolved through piloting and evaluating a number of courses and are designed at Level 3.

The focus of Learning Skills and Home Study Skills are distinct from, but yet compatible with the Caring for Children and Child Development and Play modules at the same level. Parents/carers gain an understanding of how children learn, of the content and expectations of the primary curriculum, of the significance of the home environment and especially of the value of parent-child interaction to foster learning. Furthermore the modules encourage an increased awareness of the learning process.

The OECD (PISA) ‘Learners for Life and knowledge and Skills’ Report (2000) indicates that the attention in family literacy work to ways of learning and learning to learn is particularly important. For both parents/carers and children, increased ‘cognitive awareness’ raises the learning capacity and encourages learner autonomy. As a result, learner confidence soars.

The emphasis of the modules Learning Skills and Home Study Skills is on parents as partners in learning. The modules do not presume detail of individual teaching methods or content of the curriculum but focus on activities in the home and community that can enhance the learning for both adults and children.

Learning Skills

Concentrates on the awareness of the overall needs of the growing child, the personal, social, emotional, creative and reflective aspects. Ways people learn and how parents can support school learning at home.

Home Study Skills

Identifies the skills learnt through play and leisure activities and demonstrates links to curriculum subjects. The different areas of literacy and maths are highlighted, broadening the understanding of activities that support the learning in these subjects.

Other relevant locally developed modules are Early Reading Support at levels four and five. See Working Together p.104

Working Together, Approaches to Family Literacy. 2004. NALA.

National Adult Literacy Agency, 76, Gardiner Street, Dublin 1, 01 855 4332, literacy@nala.ie www.nala.ie

Postscript:

Both these modules were discontinued by the Further Education and Training Award Council (FETAC) as it redesigned the accreditation system and felt there was overlap with a wide variety of early years and childcare modules.

Clare Family Learning Project now use more generic accredited programmes such as Level 1, 2 and 3 within the now Qualifications Quality Ireland (QQI which was FETAC).

The content for both modules are included below as this is still useful for parents attending family learning programmes. 2015.

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