The goal of the Family Storyteller program is to enrich parent/child interaction and the home environment to enhance the language and lifelong learning skills of both parent and child. The curriculum is designed to stimulate verbal interaction, create interest in reading, encourage parent/child reading, provide opportunity for reading, and provide access to reading materials. A secondary goal includes helping to strengthen the relationship between parent and child.

The program can be used in a group workshop setting, one-to-one, or in homes. Key is the involvement of both parents and children. It is designed primarily for families in which parents have more limited literacy skills; however, all families can benefit from the program. The choice of books is based upon parent’s literacy abilities, as well as children’s. The program can stand alone but if parent’s reading levels are low, it is best used in conjunction with an existing adult literacy program. The workshops are designed for parents and their pre-school age or beginner reader children (two and one-half to seven years of age.)

This program emphasizes and models carefully selected book reading techniques, such as previewing the book, reading with expression, labeling, and asking questions. Each weekly session features a new book and video tape highlighting the techniques. The facilitator models by reading the books to the parents. Parents then have time to practice reading to their children or each other. Time is provided to discuss reactions to the book and to do the enriching language activities. Families are given the books to re-read and try additional literacy activities. The workshops introduce families to the joy of literature and language, show parents techniques for how to read with their children, provide time to practice those skills, and provide books and other language activities for use at home.

The Family Storyteller is designed for six weekly one and one-half hour meetings, though some leaders may adjust this schedule to accommodate the time available for their specific group. Based on observation and feedback from parents, this amount of time seems best in order to allow opportunity for discussion and reaction to material. Leaders also may want to add a trip to a nearby library as an additional session.