Early Literacy Doesn’t Have to Be Complicated

Literacy is something we often associate with school, but learning starts long before a child walks into a classroom. It also doesn’t stop when we become adults.

At Crawford County Volunteers for Literacy, our primary focus is helping adults work toward their individual literacy and learning goals. Many of the adults in our community are also parents, grandparents, and caregivers who play an important role in their children’s learning. 

That is where family literacy fits into our work.

What Does Family Literacy Look like at CCVL?

Our goal with family literacy isn’t turning parents into teachers or add another responsibility to an already busy day. 

Instead, we want to support the adults we serve by providing practical resources and ideas they can use with their children while continuing to work toward their own goals. 

A parent might be improving their own reading skills while also learning simple ways to enjoy books with a young child. An adult learning English might practice new words and conversations at home with their family. Someone building digital skills might become more comfortable navigating the technology their child’s school uses. 

Adult learning and family learning don’t have to happen separately. 

Early Literacy Doesn’t Have to Be Complicated

Parents and caregivers are already doing many things that support early learning without necessarily thinking of them as “literacy activities.”

Talking about the colors you see while driving, counting toys while cleaning up, making a story together, pointing out letters on a sign, or asking a child about their day can all create opportunities to practice language and communication. 

Reading together is another great way to encourage early literacy. The American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) recommends shared reading beginning at birth and continuing through at least kindergarten. According to AAP, reading together supports children’s language and literacy development while also encouraging cognitive and social-emotional development and positive interactions between children and their caregivers. 

Research reviewed by the AAP has also connected reading with children during infancy and the preschool years with stronger language skills at school entry.  Earlier shared reading has been associated with stronger preschool language skills and greater interest in reading. 

But “reading together” doesn’t always mean reading every word on every page. 

Families can talk about the pictures, ask questions, make up their own stories, let a child turn the pages, or wonder together about what might happen next.  The interaction is an important part of the experience. 

These are simple things families can work into everyday life without needing a special curriculum or lesson plan. 

Literacy Matters Here in Crawford County

Literacy isn’t only a childhood issue. It continues to affect families throughout our community. 

According to county-level estimates from the Program for the International Assessments of Adult Competencies (PIAAC), approximately 21% of adults in Crawford County are estimated to have literacy skills at or below Level 1. The Adult Learning Alliance of Arkansas reports these estimates using data from the National Center for Education Statistics’ PIAAC skills Map. 

That doesn’t mean 21% of adults in Crawford County cannot read.

PIAAC looks at literacy as a range of skills. At Level 1, adults may be able to read relatively short text and locate basic information while having more difficultly with increasingly complex reading tasks. The National Center for Education Statistics defines literacy more broadly as the ability to understand, evaluate, use and engage with written text to accomplish goals and participate in society. 

Those skills matter in everyday life. Reading can be part of filling out paperwork, understanding information from work or school. Using technology, preparing for additional education, and helping children with their own learning. 

It’s one of the reasons conversations about adult literacy and children’s literacy belong together. 

Supporting Adults Supports Families

As we continue developing family literacy opportunities at Crawford County Volunteers for literacy, we want to keep the adult learner at the center of that work. 

Our goal is to give parents and caregivers additional tools they can use at home, create opportunities for families to enjoy literacy together, and make books and learning recourses more accessible to the adults we serve and their children.

Most importantly, we want families to know that supporting literacy at home doesn’t have to look perfect. 

It can look like reading a favorite book again. Talking about a picture. Counting something while making dinner. Learning a new word together. Asking a child to tell you about their day. 

Small moments of talking, reading, playing, and learning together can become part of everyday family life.

And when an adult decides they want to support reaching one of their own learning goals, we’re here for that too.

Crawford County Volunteers for Literacy provides free, individualized adult edudcaiotn services for adults working on reading, math, English, computer skills, education and worforce preparation, and other personal learning goals. 

To learn more about our services or family literacy efforts, contact us at [email protected]



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Sources & Further Reading
American Academy of Pediatrics. Literacy Promotion: An Essential Component of Primary Care Pediatric Practice: Policy Statement. Pediatrics, 2024.
Includes the AAP's recommendations for shared reading beginning at birth and research on the relationship between shared reading, language development, early literacy, and school readiness.
American Academy of Pediatrics. Literacy Promotion: An Essential Component of Primary Care Pediatric Practice: Technical Report. Pediatrics, 2024.
Reviews research on shared reading and children's language, cognitive, social-emotional, and early literacy development.
National Center for Education Statistics (NCES). U.S. PIAAC Skills Map: State and County Indicators of Adult Literacy and Numeracy.
Provides state and county estimates of adult literacy and numeracy proficiency.
Adult Learning Alliance of Arkansas. Understanding the PIAAC.
Provides Arkansas county-level PIAAC literacy and numeracy estimates, including the estimate that 21% of adults in Crawford County are at or below Level 1 literacy.