The Unique Contribution of Home Literacy Environment to Differences in Early Literacy Skills1

Abstract

The psychometric utility of a home literacy environment measure is evaluated and its unique contribution to predicting literacy skills is examined. The scale is derived from information provided by parents of kindergarten children about the amount of reading materials in the home, and the frequency of library visits, adult literacy‐related behaviors, adult‐child reading, and television viewing. Measures of language, reading, general knowledge and math were collected from 295 children in fall of kindergarten and spring of second grade. The home literacy environment scale predicts unique variance in kindergarten and second grade language‐based, but not number‐based, literacy skills. Hence, the simple and easily administered measure of the home literacy environment proves to be psychometrically strong and uniquely predictive of differences in early literacy skills. †This research was supported by a grant from National Institute of Child Health and Human , Development (HD27176). * Correspondence concerning this article should be addressed to Frederick J. Morrison, Department of Psychology, Loyola University of Chicago, 6525 N Sheridan Road, Chicago, Illinois 60626. Electronic mail may be sent to fmorris@orion.it.luc.edu.