Family Literacy is an intensive year round program to assist English as a Second Language parents in gaining the literacy and parenting skills they need to become full partners in the educational development of their young children through family-centered education programming.
Family literacy addresses the literacy needs of all members of the family while promoting parents’ involvement in their children’s education as their children’s first teachers. These programs improve educational opportunities of families by integrating early childhood education and adult education in a unified program.
Vita Education Services partners with Head Start, Bucks County Free Library, the County Assistance Office, St. Mary Parenting Center, and the Bensalem and Bristol Borough School Districts to deliver this model program.
Vita Family Literacy is located at Bensalem Head Start and Snyder-Girotti Elementary School and provides programming throughout the year. There are four essential parts to the program:
- Adult education (English as a Second Language instruction)
- Literacy–focused child education
- Parenting education
- Interactive literacy activities with parents and children
Climbing the Stairs to Success
We want our students to be successful in reaching their goals Student success is measured by the completion of a core goal or advancement from one educational level to the next. Vita’s programs are designed to help individuals move sequentially through Vita’s step system of educational levels. There are six educational levels for English as a Second Language students. Programming is based on these levels, which are shown below. Students’ educational levels are determined in the beginning and at the end of each semester.
ENGLISH AS A SECOND LANGUAGE (ESL) PROGRAMS STAIRS TO SUCCESS
| Advanced ESL – small group instruction, computer assisted instruction | |||||
| High Intermediate ESL – small group instruction, class instruction, computer assisted instruction | |||||
| Low Intermediate ESL – small group instruction, class instruction, computer assisted instruction | |||||
| High Beginning ESL – small group instruction, class instruction | |||||
| Low Beginning ESL – small group instruction, class instruction | |||||
| Beginning Literacy ESL – small group instruction | |||||
Our Family Literacy educational programs are targeted to reach core goals of:
- improving English proficiency
- helping children succeed in school
- obtaining and retaining employment
- continuing education by completing a high school diploma program or GED
- benefiting from occupational training programs
Eligible parents include those 17 or older with limited literacy or English language skills or without a high school diploma and who have children from birth to third grade. These adult learners cannot be currently enrolled in a school program. For further information, contact Vita Education Services at 215-345-8322
