Family programmes aim to encourage family members to learn together. They should provide inter-generational learning to both adults and children and provide progression for the adult to other learning. The term ‘adult’ assumes that this includes mothers, fathers, carers, grandparents – whoever has a caring role for the child. The programmes have two main aims:
These are used as an opportunity to engage families by providing a positive shared learning experience and are used as the opportunity to initially engage parents with low literacy or numeracy skills. Programmes can focus on a particular theme or activity such as arts and crafts, healthy eating or messy play and should be designed to give the adults the skills and confidence to support their children. These may initially be a short workshop leading onto a longer 10 hour programme.
These programmes aim to help parents and carers understand how literacy and numeracy are taught so that they can support their children’s learning. The programmes vary according to the age of the children.
The adults’ prime motivation for coming on these courses is their children. Two trigger points for parents are, firstly, when their children begin to develop language and secondly, when they move into formal education. At both of these times parents may realise that they do not have the right set of skills to give their children the full support they would like to provide.
Typically FLLN programmes are divided into sessions where parents learn with their children, and sessions where the adults and their children learn separately. These courses are taught by specialist Skills For Life tutors who work with the adults, alongside specialist teachers who support the children’s learning. All adults on these courses have the opportunity to take national qualifications and, as their literacy and numeracy skills improve, they may move on to further learning and into employment.
For further information about family programmes please contact
Julia Gahagan
Family Programmes Manager
email julia.gahagan@hants.gov.uk
Clare Stanley
Senior Administrative Officer
tel 01962 845127
email clare.stanley@hants.gov.uk