This paper deals with the relation between
children's home literacy environments (HLE) and their literacy
development in the first phase of primary school. On the
basis of a broad conceptualisation of the HLE, we identified
three home literacy profiles (rich, self-directed, and poor
HLE). Firstly, we related these profiles to socio-cultural
factors (more specifically, ethnicity and socio-economic
status [SES]). We found an association between the HLEs
and ethnicity/SES, indicating that (Dutch) majority children
and children from high SES families had, in general, the
most stimulating HLEs. On the other hand, we observed considerable
variability in HLEs within ethnic minority and low SES groups.
Subsequently, we related the HLE profiles to literacy outcomes
in kindergarten, first and second grade. We found that,
after controlling for relevant background characteristics,
the HLE had an effect on children's vocabulary scores in
first grade, and their general reading comprehension both
in in first and second grade.
Abstract reproduced with permission of Blackwell
Publishing.
This study examined mothers' beliefs about
literacy development, the association of those beliefs with
other aspects of the home literacy environment, and connections
between parental literacy beliefs and pre-school aged children's
literacy development. Data were collected from 79 mothers
and their children over on e year, and two profiles of parental
literacy beliefs emerged. 'Facilitative' mothers believed
that taking an active role in teaching children at home
would provide opportunities for their children to gain vocabulary,
knowledge, and morals. 'Conventional' mothers expressed
the belief that schools, more than parents, are responsible
for teaching children and tended to report many challenges
to reading with children. Homes with Facilitative mothers
tended to be more literacy enriching than homes of Conventional
mothers, and children with Facilitative mothers displayed
more advanced print knowledge and interest in reading. These
findings have implications for understanding the connections
among parental literacy beliefs, home literacy environments,
and children's literacy outcomes.
Abstract reproduced with permission of Sage
Publications Ltd: www.sagepub.co.uk
Relatively few studies of family literacy
programmes have investigated parents' views, despite their
importance for the future development of this kind of programme
in early childhood education. This article reports on a
family literacy programme from the perspectives of the parents
involved in it. The study was carried out in socio-economically
disadvantaged communities in a northern English city. Parent
experiences were investigated through interviews at the
beginning and end of the programme (N = 85) and home visit
records. Interviews with a control group (N = 73) of parents
who had never participated in a family literacy programme
were also conducted at the end of programme. Take-up and
participation rates were extremely high for child-focused
components of the programme, but the adult (parent-focused)
education component had lower take-up. Parents expressed
extremely positive views about the child-focused component
of the programme and all felt it had benefited children.
There was evidence, according to parent report, of programme
impact on family literacy practices. Implications for family
literacy programmes are discussed.
Abstract reproduced with permission of Sage
Publications Ltd: www.sagepub.co.uk
A key to supporting a child's emerging literacy
is building relationships with adults and peers through
interactions around literacy activities. The development
of sustained relationships with adults who engage a child
in authentic conversations increases the opportunities for
the child to build literacy connections. Robust relationships
with caring adults are especially important in meeting the
social and emotional needs of children who may be unable
to benefit from traditional, curriculum-driven, academic
instruction. This article focuses on strategies that support
social relationships around literacy learning in malleable
environments that mold to the continually developing child,
especially young children who struggle to learn the skills
needed to read and write.
Abstract reproduced with permission of the
Taylor and Francis Group:
www.tandf.co.uk
Many pupils experience difficulties in literacy apart
from those whose individual learning needs are recognized for special
resourcing. Their parents and carers are, potentially, an important
source of additional support in encouraging literacy acquisition. Embedded
within different home-school partnership arrangements are presuppositions
about the ability and right of families and/or carers from a diversity
of backgrounds and cultures to support the literacy development of their
children. These presuppositions can serve to include or alienate both
parents and their children. In addition, embedded within particular
approaches and strategies for developing literacy are a variety of underlying
assumptions about the process of literacy acquisition. This article
will illustrate these issues with reference to particular programmes
and techniques currently in common use in schools for supporting the
literacy acquisition of children who experience difficulties. It will
go on to outline the fundamental importance of schools recognizing these
issues in order that they may negotiate effective home-school literacy
programmes which can harness all available resources to address difficulties
in literacy development.
Abstract reproduced with permission of the Taylor and
Francis Group:
www.tandf.co.uk
Research indicates that both home literacy activities
and direct instruction of reading skills promote reading development.
The current study investigates how parent-led direct teaching activities
impact emergent literacy. Preschool children (n = 47) were administered
subtests from the Test of Early Reading Ability-3 and the Kaufman Survey
of Early Academic and Language Skills. In addition, parents responded
to a questionnaire about direct teaching of literacy activities implemented
within the home. The majority of parents reported directly teaching
their children literacy skills (86%), particularly letter names (71%)
and sounds (65%). Fewer parents reported directly teaching printing
letters (45%), writing words (29%), reading words (26%), or reading
stories (26%). A trend emerged in which children receiving any direct
instruction scored higher on most emergent literacy tasks. However,
statistical significance was only found in a few areas including direct
teaching of alphabet knowledge and writing words. Implications for family
literacy and for future research are discussed.
Abstract reproduced with permission of the Taylor and
Francis Group:
www.tandf.co.uk
This study compared the rates of different types of joint
book reading behaviors of parents of preschool children with and without
language impairments using two different text genres. Participants included
72 preschool children between the ages of 51 and 70 months. Fifty-five
children were typically developing and 17 were diagnosed with language
impairments. Parent-child dyads were videotaped during periods of joint
book reading using two different types of text (one alphabet-rhyming
and one narrative). Results indicated parents rarely used reading behaviors
known to enhance their preschoolers' phonological awareness. However,
when used, there was a significant difference between the two types
of texts. The alphabet book elicited a higher rate of phonological awareness
and print concept behaviors, while the narrative book resulted in parents
using more content behaviors. In addition, the parents of typically
developing children used more phonological awareness behaviors than
the parents of children with language impairments.
Abstract reproduced with permission of Elsevier: www.elsevier.com
This study examined the strategies parents
use naturally to help early readers at difficult points
of text or pronunciation. Forty-two children were videotaped
reading to a parent. Results suggest parents are not likely
to provide specific instructional feedback when listening
to their children read. When given, parental feedback tends
to be well tuned to the child's reading ability, with parents
of less skilled readers providing richer and more varied
feedback than parents of more skilled readers. A tree clustering
analysis placed parents in one of three groups: 1) 'Learner
centred' parents use a variety of feedback strategies, 2)
'Inactive' parents allow their children to continue uncorrected;
3) 'Direct' parents supply the miscued word. The children
of 'learner centred' parents did not perform as well as
children of 'inactive' parents of measures of reading ability,
possibly because parents of better readers no longer need
to be 'learner centred'.
Abstract reproduced with permission of Blackwell
Publishing.
This article reports on a small-scale study which examined
the home literacy practices of a group of 3 and 4 year-old children
in a working-class community in the north of England and explored how
far these practices were reflected in the curriculum of the nursery
the children attended. The data illustrate that there was a dissonance
between out-of-school and schooled literacy practices and that there
was more evidence of nursery literacy practices infiltrating the home
than vice versa. Children's literacy practices in the home were focused
on media and popular cultural texts and the article argues for greater
recognition of these contemporary cultural practices in early years
policy documentation and curriculum guidance.
Abstract reproduced with permission of the Taylor and
Francis Group:
www.tandf.co.uk
Student reading skills are below grade level
in many schools and professionals are constantly searching
for new ideas to enhance reading curricula. To address this
problem in one elementary school, a parent/school reading
programme was implemented. Parents were encouraged to increase
the amount of time spent reading with their children at
home and the school provided easily accessible reading materials,
suggestions for encouraging reading at home, prizes and
special activities. Programme participants demonstrated
a higher increase in reading rate and accuracy than the
matched peers. Prior to implementation and at the end of
the reading programme, parents and students who chose to
participate in the programme reported positive attitudes
toward reading together. Implications of these results are
discussed and an emphasis is placed on expanding research
in the area.
Abstract reproduced with permission of the
International Reading Association
Children's early interest in shared reading
is thought to be important to later reading achievement.
However, influences on such interest have not been adequately
studied. The present study evaluated whether parents can
affect their children's interest in shared reading, using
a multimethod assessment. Twenty-five parents and their
preschool-aged children were randomly assigned to either
an intervention group or an attention-control group. Parents
in the interest intervention group learned strategies thought
to be important to fostering interest in shared reading.
After one week, children in the intervention group were
more interest in shared reading compared to children in
the attention-control group. After four weeks, intervention
parents still reported increased child interest, though
direct observations suggested somewhat diminished effects.
These results provide a rare experimental evaluation of
parental influence on interest, and suggest potential value
in further developing interest interventions.
Abstract reproduced with permission of Elsevier:
www.elsevier.com
This investigation used structural equation modeling to
examine sources of children's reading, vocabulary, general information,
mathematics, and letter recognition skills upon entrance to kindergarten.
Potential predictors included ethnicity, gender, child IQ, family literacy
environment, maternal education, and months in child care centres. Family
literacy environment had positive causal links with four of five academic
measures. Greater number of months in child care centers was associated
with higher mathematics scores among children from less educated mothers
who scored low on a measure of family literacy environment. In contrast,
no effects of child care were found for children from mothers with more
education. Implications include the need for strong parental involvement
in children's development and subsidized child care for children in
need.
Abstract reproduced with permission of Elsevier Journals:
www.elsevier.com
Economic and social class differences in literacy-specific
experiences and access to print resources have been widely
documented. This study examined an intervention strategy
designed to provide access to literacy materials and opportunities
for parent-child storybook reading in three Head Start Centres.
There were three specific objectives: (1) to examine the
influence of text type (highly predictable, episodic predictable,
and narrative) on patterns of interaction between parents
and children; (2) to examine whether there were differences
in these patterns of interaction between low proficiency
and proficient parent readers; and (3) to examine gains
in receptive language and concepts of print scores for children
of low proficiency and proficient parent readers. Forty-one
parents and their children participated in the study; 18
low proficiency parent readers and 23 proficient parent
readers were involved in a 12-week book club. Results indicated
that text type affected patterns of interaction and that
parents' reading proficiency influenced conversational interactions,
with different text types serving as a scaffold for parent-child
interaction. Regardless of parental reading proficiency,
however, children's receptive language and concepts of print
improved significantly, providing further evidence for the
importance of parental storybook reading on children's emerging
literacy.
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