In a number of ways, family literacy is different than ESL. Let’s first address what ESL (English as a Second Language) means and then take a look at the term family literacy.

According to the Department of Education (DOE), the Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA) assists students whose first language is not English. It also states that all students must be assessed, including those with limited English proficiency (LEP).

The Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA) was developed to assist LEP students as well. Signed by Obama back in 2015, ESSA reestablishes the half-a-century-old Elementary and Secondary Education Act. Ensuring equal opportunity for all students, this is excellent news for the country’s schools, says the DOE on its Every Student Succeed’s page. Building on areas of progress in recent years, this new law upholds critical protection for high-need and/or disadvantaged students.

Family literacy, on the other hand, describes children and parents learning together, says a family literacy article by Kent State University. The thinking behind the term is that parents are their children’s first teachers, and it’s through them that a great deal of learning takes place.

Family literacy programs, overall, examine the literacy needs and strengths of families, and sometimes communities—referred to as community literacy, say the article. A family literacy program also usually offers a variety of both child-initiated and parent-initiated activities, it adds. In addition, this kind of program includes interactive literacy activities between parents and their kids, as well as education for parents to assist in their own learning while becoming full partners in their child’s learning, the article states.

Assisting Hispanic children with their reading, and often the parents, too, the Latino Family Literacy Project meets both the family literacy requirements and greatly assists the ESL child. For the younger students, the Project helps educate parents and assists them in setting up an at-home, bilingual family reading routine. Even though family literacy is different than ESL, the Latino Family Literacy Project encompasses both. Teachers can attend a one-day, program training at a workshop near them or via an online webinar.