Engaging Families of Minoritized Bilingual Preschoolers in Designing a Family Literacy Program

The purpose of this qualitative exploratory study was to include culturally and linguistically diverse minoritized parents in the design of a family literacy program. Parents of traditionally marginalized emergent bilingual Spanish-speaking preschoolers provided feedback on family literacy resources generally and specific resources from the Systematic and Engaging Early Literacy (SEEL) family literacy program, including the website, a lesson plan, and a training video. Culturally relevant pedagogy and user experience (UX) design were applied to determine what these families found accessible, instructive, and important. Feedback was collected through individual interviews and focus groups using UX design. Thematic analyses revealed five main themes in the feedback: (a) Spanish literacy learning concepts; (b) child-centered practices; (c) effective teaching and design in the materials; (d) home-school connections; and (e) the role of the parent in early literacy learning at home. Analyses provided insights about family early literacy resources, such as recognizing variability among families, exploring the different ways culturally and linguistically minoritized parents advocate for their children's literacy learning, and providing accessibility that is inclusive and effective in supporting early literacy learning for all families.