THE DEVELOPMENT OF PROJECT PRIMER - A COMMUNITY-BASED LITERACY PROGRAM

Disillusionment with the current educational system has led to new att empts to solve the growing problem of low literacy. This paper outline s the development and implementation of Project PRIMER (PRoducing Infa nt/Mother Ethnic Readers), one attempt to combat low literacy. Descrip tions of the recruitment strategies, roles and training of participati ng college students, and barriers to implementation are included. The procedures employed to develop the intervention programs are included. One hundred forty-seven families participated The results indicated t hat parents engaged in the targeted behaviors and that children in the high intervention program showed improvements in their cognitive deve lopment.