The ideas behind this project are simple. Parent-teacher contact is increasingly viewed by both educators and researchers as a critical element in children's school success, Evidence suggests that parents and teachers best serve children when they work as partners in supporting children's learning in compatible ways.

Many parents are not aware that their children can be well on their way to succeeding in literacy by giving them the opportunity to learn its functional uses through everyday authentic life experiences (Taylor, 1997). If parents do have this understanding, many are unsure of the exact role they should play (Lapp, Fisher, Flood & Moore, 2002) in fostering their child’s literacy development. They may be insecure about their personal knowledge base, may have burdensome schedules, overwhelming responsibilities, and personal beliefs about the roles of the teachers and the school.

School personnel want parents to support children’s learning but are unsure of how to keep them involved. Lack of knowing on the part of parents is often seen by school personnel as a sign of disinterest (Lee, 2007, 2008). Yet there is little opportunity for parents to learn how to share and document their child’s literacy development and few opportunities to learn how to support that learning in developmentally appropriate ways.

Just as in the health field where clients are encouraged to take a more active role in their own health care needs, so too do parents need to become more articulate about their child’s literacy needs and share their knowledge of their child’s literacy development. In order to truly become partners in their child’s learning, parents need to develop a personal knowledge base about their child’s developing literacy and the ways in which they can foster further development.

There is also a need for parents to learn how to manage their time and schedule appropriate learning opportunities as a natural part of their family activities. They also need to learn how to articulate the information they have to their child’s school/teacher and to understand the importance of parental involvement in children’s school success.

The Home-Based Literacy Portfolio Project meets this need and partners the Valley Community Literacy Association with nursery school, parent resource centres, and local schools, along with faculty and students from Mount Saint Vincent University, to make an important bridge between home-based literacy knowledge and the school.