ABSTRACT
Family literacy in the Netherlands and in Germany have originated from diff erent philosophies and policies regarding the role of families in the education of their children, but they also have seen similar initiatives within their countries. This chapter describes and compares current family literacy policies, programs, and evaluation studies. Following a short introduction providing the common context of both countries and their populations, the chapter is structured in two sections, each focussing in-depth on one country. First, in each section we will describe the early beginnings and policy concerned with family literacy, noting that family literacy as a central, organized, and structured system of interventions in Germany is still in its infancy, while the Netherlands can look back on a more comprehensive history in this area. Next, a description of diff erent family literacy programs is provided. Each section also includes research on the eff ectiveness of the programs, including a discussion of how the programs respond to family and cultural factors, and where future eff orts appear to be moving. The chapter closes with an overall discussion of similarities and diff erences of the current and future developments in the Netherlands and Germany.
