Characteristics Related to Parent-Child Literacy and Numeracy Practices in Preschool

Amy R Napoli,Sara A Schmitt,Joyce Lin,David J Purpura,Irem Korucu

doi:10.3389/feduc.2021.535832

Abstract

Despite evidence suggesting that home literacy and numeracy environments are related to children’s school readiness skills, little research has examined the child and family characteristics that relate to the home literacy and numeracy environments within the same sample. These factors are important to investigate in order to determine what may foster or prevent parent-child engagement. The primary purpose of this study was to examine the shared and unique parent-reported child and parent variables that are related to the frequency of parent-child literacy and numeracy practices. The 199 preschoolers included in the study ranged in age from 3.00 to 5.17°years (M = 4.16, SD = 0.57). Parents reported on child and family characteristics. Two multiple regression analyses were conducted (one each for home literacy and numeracy environments). Results indicated that parent education and children’s age were positively related to the frequency of both literacy and numeracy practices. However, parents’ beliefs of the importance of numeracy were positively associated with the frequency of parent-reported numeracy practices, whereas beliefs of the importance of literacy were not related to the frequency of literacy practices. In line with other research, parents reported finding literacy development to be more important than numeracy development and engaging in parent-child literacy practices more frequently than numeracy practices. Understanding factors that are related to the home literacy and numeracy environments may be an important step in identifying how to best encourage parents to engage their children in these practices at home.

Highlights

Academic skills—literacy and numeracy skills in particular—are important for the development of later skills and are predictive of long-term academic achievement (Pagani et al, 2010; Nguyen et al, 2016)
Though researchers have some understanding of factors that are related to the home literacy and numeracy environments, there is little research examining all of these factors within the same sample
The results of this study suggest that there are key child and parent characteristics that are related to the frequency of parentchild literacy and numeracy practices in the home environment

Summary

Introduction

Academic skills—literacy and numeracy skills in particular—are important for the development of later skills and are predictive of long-term academic achievement (Pagani et al, 2010; Nguyen et al, 2016). There are significant differences in the home learning environments that parents provide for their children (Young-Loveridge, 1989) and there are likely various parent and child factors that are related to these differences. Additional research that examines factors related to literacy and numeracy practices within the same sample is critical to researchers’ and practitioners’ understanding of how to best aid parents in providing a supportive home literacy environment (HLE) and home numeracy environment (HNE) for preschool children. Literacy and numeracy are two specific domains among many that comprise the home learning environment Parentchild literacy practices, such as joint reading (Wood, 2002), and numeracy practices, such as teaching the counting sequence and the names of numerals (Anders et al, 2012), are important for children’s developing academic skills (Melhuish et al, 2008). Unsupportive early HLEs are related to difficulties in developing reading skills, and these difficulties persist years later (Sonnenschein et al, 2010; Schmitt et al, 2011)

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Results

Conclusion