Home Literacy Environment Research Articles

Impact of home literacy environment on literacy development of children with hearing loss: A mediation model.

Reading presents an unsolved difficulty for children with hearing loss and research on factors influencing their literacy development is very limited. This work aimed to study the influence of home literacy environment (HLE) on literacy development of children with hearing loss and explore possible mediating effects of reading interest and parent-child relationship. 112 Chinese children with hearing loss were surveyed for scales of HLE, literacy development, reading interest, and parent-child relationship. Result analysis showed that HLE significantly predicted literacy development of children with hearing loss and this effect was no longer significant after including reading interest and parent-child relationship as variables. Further, HLE significantly predicted reading interest and parent-child relationship, each of which predicted literacy development and played a significant mediating role in HLE’s influence on literacy development. These findings provide educational tips for families of children with hearing loss.

Investigation of the Reading Motivations of Preschool Children: A Multiple Regression Study

The study primarily aimed to examine how the reading beliefs and home literacy environments predict the child’s early reading motivation. The sub-objective of this study was determined as to whether this prediction differed according to the educational level of the mother, the time the child allocated for reading in a day, and the time the child read during the day. In the first stage stratified sampling was used and, in the second stage, the purposive sampling method was used. The sample group of the study consisted of 556 parents who had children between the age of 36-72 months and whose children enrolled preschool education. Personal Information Form, Parent Reading Belief Scale, Home Literacy Environment Scale, and Perceived Motivation Scale for Reading Picture Story Books for Children were used as data collection tools. The obtained data were analyzed by using the multiple regression analysis methods. According to the results, it was seen that the parent reading belief and home literacy environment predicted the child’s reading motivation. Also, this prediction differed according to the education of the mother, the time the child allocated for reading in a day, and the time the child read during the day. The results obtained have the potential to guide preschool parents, teachers, and field experts.

Exploring Parents' Attempt to Conduct Home Literacy Practices for Young Learners

In Indonesia, it is quite hard to find a study that raised the topic of home literacy even though the topic is very important to discuss. This research will provide an overview of how parents in Indonesia carry out home literacy practices with their children. Thus, this research aimed to explore the types of home literacy practices by Indonesian parents. The researcher collected the data through an interview via Zoom meeting as a method of this research. The data were transcribed and codified under the theory of Burgees, Hect, and Lonigan (2002). For analyzing the data, the researcher uses a thematic analysis. From the findings, it can be known that the mother played a big role in the sustainability of home literacy. While the father’s role in supporting and teaching the Quran or reciting Surah. There are four roles in conducting home literacy as performed by the parents who had the same level of education and from middle and upper economic background. These are the limiting environment, the literacy interface, the active home literacy environment, and the passive home literacy environment.

Home-Visiting in a Shared Reading Intervention: Effects on Children from Low SES and Ethnic Minority Families

ABSTRACT Research Findings: In this study, we examined the short- and long-term effects of Reading Express, a home-visiting intervention in which volunteers encourage low socio-economic status and ethnic minority parents to engage in interactive shared reading with their child. Outcomes of a quasi-experiment involving 176 children in the Netherlands (mean age 72 months; nexperimental = 95; ncontrol = 81) revealed favorable outcomes of Reading Express for children’s home literacy environments (i.e., children’s book exposure and parents’ reported shared reading frequency), which were maintained over time. Reading Express also had a positive short-term effect on story comprehension. However, the positive trend in story comprehension leveled off 20 weeks after program termination and there were neither short-term nor long-term effects on receptive vocabulary. Practice or Policy: Our results show that longer-term changes can be made in children’s home literacy environments by means of home visiting programs such as Reading Express, but they also suggest the relevance of better adapting programs to the characteristics and needs of participating families.

“Literacy is everywhere!”: using digital technology to broaden how parents view the home literacy environment

Parent–child engagement in constrained (e.g., learning alphabet letters or sounds) and unconstrained (e.g., storytelling, defining words) literacy activities are central components of the home literacy environment. Unconstrained activities are particularly important for children’s oral language and support school readiness. Yet, many parents do not recognize that unconstrained activities can promote learning. This study examines whether an immersive tool can help parents recognize the importance of unconstrained activities and how to embed learning into everyday home routines. N = 76 middle- to lower-income parents of three-year-old children were randomly assigned to a control condition or immersive “literacy scavenger hunt” where they self-explored opportunities to engage in unconstrained activities within everyday routines. The scavenger hunt was associated with an increase in parents’ endorsement of unconstrained activities and verbal communication within parent–child interactions. Results are discussed in terms of intervention approaches that build adult capacity around supporting children’s early literacy.

From stories at bedtime to a love of reading: Parental practices and beliefs About reading with infants

Although it is well established that reading with young children supports early language and literacy development, few studies have focused on the importance of parental beliefs about reading with infants. The current study, which sheds light on parental beliefs had three main aims. The first was to examine practices of shared reading in infancy (birth to 1 year old), while the second, sought to examine parents’ views on benefits of and potential barriers to reading with infants. The third aim was to explore how parents’ beliefs about reading, and their own enjoyment of reading, may influence the early home literacy environment they create for their infants. Drawing upon a mixed methods approach, comprising surveys and interviews with parents of infants ( n = 31), this paper highlights the importance of parents’ own enjoyment of reading. The findings, which are considered from a bioecological perspective, indicate that parents’ enjoyment of reading was significantly and positively associated with the number of children’s books in their home, and the frequency of reading with their infant, as well as their hope for their child’s future enjoyment of reading. Parents noted that one of the main benefits of reading with their infants related to socio-emotional development and the one-to-one time, rather than the language and literacy benefits, which constitute the focus of much research in this area. The findings further point to an intergenerational transfer of a love of reading.

Latent Classes of Home Literacy Interactions and Literacy Environment, and Differences in Reading Attitude in Young Children

본 연구에서는 만 5, 6세 자녀를 둔 가정의 문해상호작용과 문해환경에 따른 잠재유형을 분류 및 확인하고, 잠재유형에 따라 유아의 읽기 태도에 차이가 있는지 살펴보았다. 이를 위하여 B시에 거주 중인 만 5, 6세 자녀를 둔 어머니 104명을 대상으로 잠재프로파일분석 방법을 활용하였다. 추출된 잠재유형에 따라 유아의 읽기 태도에 차이가 있는지 확인하기 위해 BCH 보조변수(Auxiliary)를 사용하였다. 분석 결과, 첫째, 가정의 문해상호작용과 문해환경에 따라 ‘개방적, 지시적 상호작용 하-문해환경 하’, ‘지시적 상호작용 상, 개방적 상호작용 중-문해환경 중’, ‘개방적 상호작용 상, 지시적 상호작용 중-문해환경 상’의 3개의 잠재유형이 존재하는 것으로 확인되었다. 둘째, 잠재유형 3(개방적 상호작용 상, 지시적 상호작용 중-문해환경 상)이 잠재유형 2(지시적 상호작용 상, 개방적 상호작용 중-문해환경 중)와 잠재유형 1(개방적, 지시적 상호작용 하-문해환경 하)보다 읽기 태도 점수가 더 높은 것으로 나타났다. 본 연구에서 어머니는 취학 전 유아와 지시적인 문해상호작용을 하지만 더욱 개방적인 문해상호작용을 추구하며, 다양한 문해활동과 풍부한 문해자료 및 어머니의 친화적인 독서태도가 유아의 긍정적인 읽기 태도를 형성하고 발전시켜 나가는 데 의미 있는 영향을 미칠 수 있음을 입증했다.This study attempted to identify latent classes of literacy interactions and literacy environments at home through latent profile analysis targeting mothers with children aged five and six. In addition, the study examined whether there were differences in young children’s reading attitudes according to the latent classes. The study analyzed 104 mothers and their five- and six-year-old children using latent profile analysis (LPA). The results of this study identified three latent classes for literacy interactions and environments at home, namely, (a) Latent Class 1 (low open-directive interaction, with a low home literacy environment), (b) Latent Class 2 (high directive interaction and mid open interaction, with a mid home literacy environment), and (c) Latent Class 3 (high open interaction and mid directive interaction, with a high home literacy environment). The results also indicated that there were significant differences in reading attitudes. Based on the results, discussion and implications are presented for literacy interactions and literacy environments at home to improve young children’s reading attitudes.

Reading Difficulties Identification: A Comparison of Neural Networks, Linear, and Mixture Models

ABSTRACT Purpose We aim to identify the most accurate model for predicting adolescent (Grade 9) reading difficulties (RD) in reading fluency and reading comprehension using 17 kindergarten-age variables. Three models (neural networks, linear, and mixture) were compared based on their accuracy in predicting RD. We also examined whether the same or a different set of kindergarten-age factors emerge as the strongest predictors of reading fluency and comprehension difficulties across the models. Method RD were identified in a Finnish sample (N ≈ 2,000) based on Grade 9 difficulties in reading fluency and reading comprehension. The predictors assessed in kindergarten included gender, parental factors (e.g., parental RD, education level), cognitive skills (e.g., phonological awareness, RAN), home literacy environment, and task-avoidant behavior. Results The results suggested that the neural networks model is the most accurate method, as compared to the linear and mixture models or their combination, for the early prediction of adolescent reading fluency and reading comprehension difficulties. The three models elicited rather similar results regarding the predictors, highlighting the importance of RAN, letter knowledge, vocabulary, reading words, number counting, gender, and maternal education. Conclusion The results suggest that neural networks have strong promise in the field of reading research for the early identification of RD.

Home Literacy Environment and Parental Perceived Literacy Development in Children with Autism: A Mediation Model

The significant impact of the home literacy environment (HLE) on the literacy development and educational achievements of typically developing (TD) children has been well documented. The focus of the current research is to gain insights into the HLE of children with autism spectrum disorders owing to their literacy difficulties. We used online questionnaires to collect data on the HLE, literacy development, reading interest, and parent–child relationship from the parents of 120 school-aged Chinese children with autism. The results confirmed that the HLE of autistic children predicts their literacy development not only directly but also indirectly, through reading interest and the parent–child relationship. The mediating effect accounted for more than half of the total effect. The study highlights that children with autism could benefit from stimulating HLE as well as their TD counterparts.

Unequal home literacy environments between preschool-age boys and girls predict unequal language and preliteracy outcomes

A favorable home literacy environment for preschool-aged children is related to higher language and preliteracy skills, which, in turn, predict later literacy skills and broader life outcomes. The quality of the home literacy environment is associated with socioeconomic indicators, but some previous research has indicated that also gender differences—favoring girls—exist in children's home literacy environments. The purpose of the present study was to examine gender differences on a range of aspects of home literacy environments provided to 8469 preschool-aged children in Denmark and to determine whether gender differences in home literacy environments mediate relations of gender to language and preliteracy outcomes. Home literacy environment data came from parent-completed questionnaires; child outcome data were obtained using a standardized assessment instrument. The results showed that the home literacy environment provided to boys is poorer on average than that provided to girls. Path models showed that the quality of the home literacy environment significantly mediated the relation of gender to language and preliteracy outcomes, but gender was still significantly directly related to outcomes. Moreover, relations of maternal education and language minority background to language and preliteracy outcomes were mediated by the quality of the home literacy environment. The results suggest that family and healthcare professionals should emphasize to parents the importance of a stimulating home literacy environment for boys and girls alike.

The Relationship Between Home Literacy Environment and Parent Involvement Towards Early Childhood Language Skills in PWP Dama Kumara

The home literacy environment should be used as one of the things that is prioritized in providing home facilities, therefore it will continue to support the process of child development properly, especially language development.The purpose of this study was to determine the relationship between the home literacy environment and parent involvement to early childhood language skills. In this study, the method used is the correlation method and ex post facto. The data were collected using a questionnaire and to test the hypothesis using the product-moment correlation technique. In this study, it was found that the home literacy environment variable had an effective contribution of 30.89% to early childhood language skills. The parent involvement variable has an effective contribution of 40.65% to early childhood language skills.

Parental Expectations and Home Literacy Environment: A Questionnaire Study of Chinese-Norwegian Dual Language Learners

ABSTRACT This study examined how parental expectations were associated with Chinese-Norwegian dual language learners’ Chinese language skills. A total of 118 Chinese parents in Norway completed a questionnaire in which they reported their expectations for their children’s Chinese language development, characteristics of the home literacy environment (resources and practices), and children’s Chinese language skills. The children were ages 1;6–14;0 (M = 6;2, SD = 2;6) and spoke Chinese at home while learning Norwegian in preschool and school. We found that parental expectations positively linked to parent-reported Chinese language skills. Moreover, this link was partially a factor of children’s Chinese home literacy environment. The results suggest that parents who manifested their expectations by facilitating a rich home literacy environment (i.e., children’s books and activities like shared reading, storytelling, listening to songs, online chatting with Chinese relatives, and playing with Chinese friends) supported their children’s Chinese language skills. By documenting parents’ efforts and their association with improved language outcomes, this study adds nuance to our understanding of the high expectations set by Chinese immigrant parents, and provides implications for parents, teachers, and researchers.

The Reliability and Validity of the Home Early Literacy Environment Scale (HELE)

Considering the benefits of the home literacy environment for children, this study aims to develop a tool to measure early literacy opportunities provided by families to their children. As a result of the Exploratory Factor Analysis, the eigenvalue of the scale is composed of four factors and 11 items, and it represents 21.73 % of the total variance in the first factor, 20.75% of the second factor, 16.65% of the third factor and 15.33 of the fourth factor. The total variance in the four factors reveals approximately 74.47% of it—Cronbach (α) reliability values of factors range between .73 and .88. The reliability value for the general scale is identified as .72. The results show that this scale is a reliable measurement tool to identify the views of families in the home literacy environment. After carrying out validity and reliability studies, we calculated cut-off scores for the scale. The lowest score might be eight, while the highest score might be 32 received from this scale. Accordingly, we found out that 8-15 points are insufficient, while 16-23 is average and 24-32 insufficient for the home literacy environment.

Tracking the long-term effects of the Bookstart intervention: Associations with temperament and book-reading habits

This study tested whether Bookstart – a program promoting book reading in infancy – continues to have an impact well into Kindergarten. We distinguished between children who were more or less challenging to read to in infancy (more or less temperamentally reactive). Eighty percent (n = 471) of a sample participating in a study when the children were one year old – about half involved in Bookstart – agreed to complete a home literacy survey when the children were, on average, 72.1 months. A smaller group (n = 318) also consented to collect tests concerning language and math at children's Kindergarten. The findings show that language development when they are about to start learning to read still profits from Bookstart. Especially the temperamentally most reactive 50 % shows benefits (d = 0.21). Bookstart also improved children's home literacy environment (longer book reading sessions), but this effect did not explain Bookstart's impact in Kindergarten.

Home literacy in the digital era: The role of mobile screen media frequency in a U.S. state

AbstractStudies suggest that mobile screen media can play a positive role in young children's language and literacy development. However, the role of mobile screen media in the home literacy environment of pre‐school aged children has not been widely explored. Currently, it is unclear whether the amount of time on mobile devices has any association with their language and literacy development. The present study therefore explored the frequency of mobile digital media use and its relationship to children's language and emergent literacy skills, and whether and how child and family characteristics may have mediated this relationship. The sample consisted of 881 children in Massachusetts (Mage = 5.16; 69% White, non‐Hispanic; 48% female) who completed language and literacy assessments on letter/word recognition, phonological awareness, vocabulary, syntax and language. Parents completed a survey on their child's literacy and technology activities at home. Results suggest that any associations between mobile screen media and language and literacy development may not be explained by quantity of use, but rather the nature of use. No robust statistically significant associations were found between the frequency of mobile media device use and children's language and literacy skills after controlling for key child and family background characteristics. Although rhyme awareness scores were significantly related to frequency of mobile device use, the association was weak. Thus, further research should explore types of activities, app features, and interactions that are important for children's development of language and literacy skills when using mobile media devices.Practitioner notesWhat is already known about this topic Pre‐school aged children are spending an increasing amount of time with mobile screens. Mobile screen media can play a positive role in young children's language and literacy development. What this paper adds This paper describes the frequency in which pre‐school children in one US state use mobile screen media. The results of this paper provide suggest that there are no associations between mobile screen media and language and literacy development. This paper discusses how several home environmental factors play a role in children's early development of language and literacy. Implications for practice and/or policy Practitioners and teachers working with families of pre‐school children can focus on supporting the quality of interactions children have with mobile media rather than focusing on limiting the amount of time children spend with mobile media. Parents, practitioners and teachers should become familiar with educational media available and learn about effective ways to use it especially among children from low‐income household who engage with mobile media at higher rates.

Early cognitive and home environmental predictors of reading fluency and reading comprehension in Turkish‐speaking children

AbstractIn this study, we aimed to determine the early cognitive and home environmental predictors of reading in Turkish‐speaking children. A total of 362 children participated in the study. We monitored the children for 3 years and assessed the home environmental variables and cognitive skills in kindergarten, reading fluency at the end of the first grade, and reading comprehension at the end of the second grade. We found that home literacy environment and socioeconomic status predicted early literacy skills in kindergarten as they also predicted reading fluency and reading comprehension through early literacy in later years. In addition, we found that phonological awareness, letter knowledge, and rapid naming predicted reading fluency, while language and verbal working memory predicted reading comprehension. The results of the study showed us that it is important to consider reading and reading comprehension in Turkish‐speaking children holistically, together with cognitive skills and home environmental variables.

Shared reading with infants: SharePR a novel measure of shared reading quality.

The AAP recommends "shared" reading from early infancy for healthy development. However, many families are uncertain how to read most enjoyably and effectively with infants, especially from underserved backgrounds. Shared reading quality (interactivity) moderates benefits yet is challenging to measure. SHARE/STEP is a new model of shared reading quality at this age incorporating evidence-based behaviors. To test the SharePR parent-report measure of caregiver-infant reading quality. This study involved mother-infant dyads in two unrelated trials in an obstetric (0-2 months old) and pediatric (6-9 months old) clinic. SharePR is a 10-item measure based on the SHARE/STEP model. Analyses involved descriptive statistics, measures of psychometric integrity, and correlations with home literacy environment (HLE). There were 99 dyads in the younger (1.2 + 0.5 months) and 108 dyads in the older groups (6.6 + 1.1 months). A majority were of non-white race (73%, 96%) and low-socioeconomic status (56%, 44% in-poverty). SharePR administration time was under 2 min and scores were normally distributed at each age. Psychometric properties were strong in terms of internal consistency and reliability. Scores were positively correlated with HLE for the older group (p < 0.05). SharePR may be an efficient tool to quantify shared reading quality with infants, warranting further investigation. Data for these analyses were collected via two unrelated trials led by the lead author (J.S.H.). For the younger cohort, this is registered on the ClinicalTrials.gov website, ID# NCT04031235. For the older cohort, this is registered on the ClinicalTrials.gov website, ID# 2017-6856. The AAP recommends caregiver-child ("shared") reading beginning in infancy, yet many families are uncertain how to do so. Verbal and social-emotional interactivity during shared reading ("quality") moderates benefits and is often low in families from disadvantaged backgrounds, yet is challenging to measure. SharePR is a 10-item parent-report measure of shared reading quality based on a novel conceptual model incorporating evidence-based behaviors (SHARE/STEP). SharePR exhibited promising psychometric properties in two separate samples of mothers of younger and older infants. SharePR is a potentially useful measure of shared reading quality at this formative age, for research and to frame early reading guidance.

Impact of Socioeconomic Status on Literacy Development of Children with Intellectual Disabilities: A Moderated Mediation Model

ABSTRACT Research on the effects of the socioeconomic status (SES) on literacy development of children with intellectual disabilities (ID) is limited. This study aimed to explore the SES’s influence on literacy development of children with ID and possible mediating effects of home literacy environment (HLE) and the parent-child relationship. The subjects of this study were 390 children with ID from special needs schools in 14 regions of China, including 239 boys and 151 girls aged 7 to 15 years. This study adopted the network survey method, with parents of children with ID completing surveys on SES, HLE, literacy development, and the parent-child relationship. SES was found to positively predict literacy development of children with ID. Further, it was found that HLE played a mediating role in the prediction of literacy development by SES, and the parent-child relationship regulated the positive impact of HLE on literacy development. In conclusion, SES significantly influences literacy development of children with ID which is partially mediated by HLE. The parent-child relationship positively regulates the regression relationship between HLE and literacy development.

The Prevalence and Associated Risk Factors of Children With Reading Disabilities in a Multiethnic City: A Cross-Sectional Study.

Numerous studies have been conducted to explore the risk factors for reading disabilities (RDs) among children. Based on these studies, factors such as gender, socioeconomic status, and the home literacy environment have been widely found to be associated with children who have RDs. However, children from a multiethnic city are seldom investigated. This study aimed to explore the prevalence of RDs and the potential environmental risk factors in Shihezi, Xinjiang, where people of multiple ethnicities, including Han and ethnic minority children, live and study together. A cross-sectional study was conducted in the city of Shihezi. A two-stage sampling strategy was applied to randomly select six primary schools in the city. In total, 6,539 students in grades two to six participated in this study. There were 6,065 valid questionnaires obtained for further analyses. We used the Dyslexia Checklist for Chinese Children and the Pupil Rating Scale to screen for the children with RDs. The χ2 test and multivariate logistic regression were employed to reveal the potential risk factors of RDs. The prevalence of children with RDs was 3.38% in Shihezi City and was significantly different between Han (3.28%) and Uighur (7.42%) children (P < 0.05). There was no significant difference in the prevalence of RDs between Han and Hui children. Among these children with RDs, the gender ratio of boys to girls was nearly 2:1. Multiple logistic regression analysis showed that gender (P < 0.01), learning habits (P < 0.01), and the home literacy environment (P < 0.01) were associated with RD. The results may be useful in the early identification and intervention of children with RDs, especially among ethnic minorities.

“It’s about sharing a moment”: Parents' views and experiences of home reading with their autistic children with moderate-to-severe intellectual disabilities

BackgroundThe home literacy environment plays a critical role in the development of children’s literacy and language development. Little is known, however, about the home literacy environment of autistic children, especially those with moderate-to-severe intellectual disabilities. AimsThe current study used a sequential mixed-methods design to understand how parents attempt to engage their autistic children in reading activities and support them in learning to read. Methods and procedureFirst, 63 parents (53 mothers) whose autistic children attended an autism-specific special school completed a bespoke questionnaire about the home literacy environments for their children (n = 69, age range = 3–11 years, 61 boys, 8 girls). Second, a subsample of parents (n = 19, 15 mothers) participated in focus groups to understand in-depth their views and experiences of home reading with their children (n = 20, age range = 3–11 years, 19 boys, 1 girl). We used reflexive thematic analysis to analyse the focus group data. Outcomes and resultsAcross questionnaire and focus group methods, parents were united in considering reading to be an important life skill, a sentiment that was reflected both by their often literacy-rich homes and the ingenuity in their efforts to engage their children in shared home-reading activities – even when such engagement could be challenging. They also emphasised, however, the importance of valuing these activities as an opportunity to “catch a moment” with their child. Conclusions and implicationsParents and teachers should work together to identify ways to enhance autistic children’s engagement in shared home-reading activities, listening to and learning from each other’s experiences and expertise, and to show what is possible within each learning context.