Auerbach (2003)explains that family literacy programs are built around three different approaches:

1. an intervention-prevention approach which tries to change values and skills,
2. a multiple literacies approach, which takes into account the differences between the literacies in the family context and those that the school promotes while appreciating family cultures and using them in the process of learning literacies. (On a theoretical level, this approach is used in the familyliteracy programs in French in Canada), and
3. a social change approach, which is interested in political, social and economic factors associated with low literacy levels, and which works with families and communities. (This I approach is closely related to the multiple literacies approach.)

Auerbach (2003) invites the practitioner to think critically about the ideology that informs the programs offered to families, to ask whether if their practice really corresponds with the recommended approach, and tolcreate connections between the literacies, culture, context and everyday lives of the participating families.

6.4 Factors to consider

6.4.1 Cultural differences

According to Neuman et al. (1995), it is important that practitioners and researchers do not perceive cultural groups as homogeneous. They observe that profound cultural differences exist within groups belonging to the same community in the United States. These differences have an impact on the language and the literacy models found in the homes. There is also great diversity within the Francophone minority communities in Canada, which has to be taken into account when programs are developed and implemented.

According to Gadsden (1999,2004), it is important to rethink the way approaches in family literacy have been reduced to a certain uniformity, to describe the variety within populations, to document how families and the culture create learning experiences related to literacies and to study how this learning finds its place in the world.

With regard to preparation for school, the second For My Child report highlights the fact that family literacy programs should take into account the first grade entrance profile for children living in a Francophone minority setting that has been developed by the Canadian Teachers' Federation (CTF,2005).

6.4.2 Differences in perceptions and beliefs

Parents and children have different perceptions of what constitutes a "success" in academic literacy. Orellana et al. (2002) documented these perceptions; they affirm the importance of building mutual understanding between parents and teachers in order to provide better support to the child in his academic development and, more generally, his success in life. The practitioners must base their interventions and the program on in-depth knowledge and understanding of the participating families and the contexts of their lives, including the parents' beliefs about literacy, learning and school.