The Impact of Home Language and Home Resources on Reading Achievement in Ten-Year-Olds in Norway; PIRLS 2016

Olaug Strand,Knut Schwippert

doi:10.23865/njlr.v5.1260

Abstract

The aim of the current study was to examine the associations between a child’s home language, home resources for learning to read and reading achievement. Whereas the role of a child’s first language in second language learning and literacy skills has shown contradictory results, there is an established body of empirical evidence documenting the relationship between home resources and academic achievement. The study was conducted to extend existing knowledge on the relative contribution of home language and home resources on reading achievement. Using data from the Norwegian participation in Progress in International Reading Literacy Study (PIRLS) 2016, fifth grade, mean age 10.8 years (n = 4232), regression analysis reveals, overall, that home resources is more strongly related to reading achievement than a child’s home language. In the search for extended knowledge about the complex mechanisms behind achievement differences, we argue that several factors in addition to home language need to be considered, so that any initiative that is identified as effective to compensate for diversity will be beneficial for all students who need additional support in their reading development.

Highlights

Norway, a country with approximately 5.2 million inhabitants, is experiencing a demographic change
Intraclass correlation In the data, students are clustered in classes and classes in schools.The intraclass correlation coefficient (ICC) for the overall reading achievement was on class-level 0.11
This means that 11% of the observed variance of the reading achievement is based on systematic differences between classes

Summary

Introduction

A country with approximately 5.2 million inhabitants, is experiencing a demographic change. Whereas people with immigrant background were more likely to settle in urban areas, there is a more equal immigrant settlement between urban and rural areas and in schools (Bakken & Elstad, 2012; Stambøl, 2013) In light of these demographic changes, it is worrying that large-scale school comparison studies indicate that language minority (LM) learners in Norway demonstrate lower levels in reading achievement than their native Norwegian-speaking peers; for example, in PIRLS3 (Strand,Wagner, & Foldnes, 2017), in PISA4 (Kjærnsli & Jensen, 2016; Roe & Hvistendahl, 2009), and in National Tests in Reading, Math and English (Statistics Norway, 2018).The Norwegian situation is far from unique.The achievement gap between LM learners and native-speaking students is an ongoing debate topic within educational science, in Norway and in other European countries as well as in the U.S and Canada. In light of these demographic changes, it is worrying that large-scale school comparison studies indicate that language minority (LM) learners in Norway demonstrate lower levels in reading achievement than their native Norwegian-speaking peers; for example, in PIRLS3 (Strand,Wagner, & Foldnes, 2017), in PISA4 (Kjærnsli & Jensen, 2016; Roe & Hvistendahl, 2009), and in National Tests in Reading, Math and English (Statistics Norway, 2018).The Norwegian situation is far from unique.The achievement gap between LM learners and native-speaking students is an ongoing debate topic within educational science, in Norway and in other European countries as well as in the U.S and Canada. (Ladson-Billings, 2006; NCES, 2015; OECD, 2015; Kieffer, 2011; Lesaux, Koda, Siegel, & Shanahan, 2006)

Objectives

Methods

Results

Conclusion