Supporting Families Through Bilingual Literacy

How the UHD Bilingual E-Library Supports Families and Literacy in the U.S.

Families play a central role in building strong literacy skills, especially during early childhood. In the United States, however, many households face barriers to accessing books and educational resources at home.

According to the National Center for Education Statistics, about 1 in 5 U.S. adults has low literacy skills, which can make it harder for parents and caregivers to support reading at home. At the same time, the U.S. Census Bureau reports that access to books varies widely by income and household resources, leaving many families with limited reading materials.

E-libraries help remove these barriers by giving families free, digital access to books they can read together anytime and anywhere. National media outlets such as The New York Times have highlighted that children who grow up with consistent access to books at home show stronger reading skills and higher academic achievement.

For bilingual and multilingual households, access to culturally and linguistically relevant materials is especially important. Federal education data show that nearly one in four children in the U.S. speaks a language other than English at home. The U.S. Department of Education notes that supporting literacy in both English and a child’s home language strengthens reading development and family engagement.

The UHD Bilingual E-Library supports families by offering accessible, bilingual reading resources designed to encourage shared reading, strengthen literacy at home, and make learning a family experience — regardless of schedule, language, or location.