Interactive Literacy Research Articles

만 3~5세 유아를 위한 부모 문해 상호작용 평정척도 개발 및 타당화 연구

The purpose of this study is to develop a scale for evaluation of Parent`s Literacy Interaction Rating Scale (PLIRS) for preschool children and to examine its validity and reliability. The participants of this study were 342 Korean mothers with children of 3 to 5 year olds. The methods for data analysis included item analysis, factor analysis for construct validity, Pearson correlations between PLIRS and two sub tests of EC-HOME for concurrent validity, and Cronbach`s for reliability. The item discrimination was determined by comparing the highest and lowest groups using Chi-square (), and Cramer`s V. The 25 items of the scale were found to be satisfactory in item discrimination. The concurrent validity was also identified by correlation between PLIRS and two sub tests of EC-HOME. Factor analysis revealed that the structure of the PLIRS consisted of three factors: `open interaction`, `directive interaction`, and `picture-book reading interaction`. `Open interaction` is based on `Whole Language Approach`, such as `I have my child write as he/she likes even if they spell wrongly.` `Directive interaction` is based on `Code Emphasis Approach`, such as `I have my child take dictation.` `Picture-book reading interaction` is how parents read picture-book with her/his children, such as `When I read a picture book to my child, I ask various questions about a book story.` The Cronbach`s for internal consistency reliability range was .78 to .87 for three subscales. It was concluded that PLIRS was valid and reliable to examine the literacy interaction between parents and children in home.

유아의 연령과 부모 문해 상호작용 유형에 따른 유아의 환경인쇄물 읽기능력의 차이

The purpose of this study investigate the differences in children`s reading abilities of environmental print according to children`s age and types of parental literacy interaction. The subjects comprised 111 illiterate children, 3 to 4 years of age, and their mothers. The Children`s Reading Abilities of Environmental Print Scale (CRAEPS), Parent`s Literacy Interaction Rating Scale (PLIRS) as developed by Son (2012) were used in this study. The collected data are analyzed by means of descriptive analysis, K-mean cluster analysis, Correlations, and two-way ANOVA. The results of this study are as follows : Illiterate Korean children, aged 3 to 4 years, can read environmental print which are familiar to them, and an `open interaction style` plays an important role in developing the child`s reading ability of environmental print. Therefore, in order to develop child literacy, it is necessary to research, not only teaching methods for using environmental print in the home, child care centers, and in kindergarten, but also parent education programs regarding the importance of the mother`s literacy interaction style.

Are Attitudes Toward Writing and Reading Separable Constructs? A Study With Primary Grade Children

This study examined whether attitude toward writing is a unique and separable construct from attitude toward reading for young beginning writers. Participants were 128 first-grade children (70 girls and 58 boys) and 113 third-grade students (57 girls and 56 boys). We individually administered to each child a 24-item attitude measure that contained 12 items assessing attitude toward writing and 12 parallel items for reading. Students also wrote a narrative about a personal event in their life. A factor analysis of the 24-item attitude measure provided evidence that generally supported the contention that writing and reading attitudes are separable constructs for young beginning writers, as it yielded 3 factors: a writing attitude factor with 9 items, a reading attitude factor with 9 parallel items, and an attitude about literacy interactions with others factor containing 4 items (2 items in writing and 2 parallel items in reading). We obtained further validation that attitude toward writing is a separable construct from attitude toward reading at the third-grade level, where writing attitude made a unique and significant contribution beyond the other 2 attitude measures to the prediction of 3 measures of writing: quality, length, and longest correct word sequence. At the first-grade level, none of the 3 attitude measures predicted students’ writing performance. Finally, girls had more positive attitudes concerning reading and writing than boys.

Association of Health Literacy with Complementary and Alternative Medicine Use: A Cross-Sectional Study in Adult Primary Care Patients

BackgroundIn the United States, it is estimated that 40% of adults utilize complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) therapies. Recently, national surveys report that over 90 million adults have inadequate health literacy. To date, no study has assessed health literacy and its effect on CAM use. The primary objective of this study was to assess the relationship between health literacy and CAM use independent of educational attainment. Second objective was to evaluate the differential effect of health literacy on CAM use by race.Methods351 patients were recruited from an outpatient primary care clinic. Validated surveys assessed CAM use (I-CAM-Q), health literacy (REALM-R), and demographic information. We compared demographics by health literacy (adequate vs. inadequate) and overall and individual CAM categories by health literacy using chi square statistics. We found a race by health literacy interaction and ran sequential logistic regression models stratified by race to test the association between health literacy and overall CAM use (Model 1), Model 1 + education (Model 2), and Model 2 + other demographic characteristics (Model 3). We reported the adjusted effect of health literacy on CAM use for both whites and African Americans separately.Results75% of the participants had adequate literacy and 80% used CAM. CAM use differed by CAM category. Among whites, adequate health literacy was significantly associated with increased CAM use in both unadjusted (Model 1, OR 7.68; p = 0.001) and models adjusted for education (Model 2, OR 7.70; p = 0.002) and other sociodemographics (Model 3, OR 9.42; p = 0.01). Among African Americans, adequate health literacy was not associated with CAM use in any of the models.ConclusionsWe found a race by literacy interaction suggesting that the relationship between health literacy and CAM use differed significantly by race. Adequate health literacy among whites is associated with increased CAM use, but not associated with CAM use in African Americans.

My Brother's Teacher? Siblings and Literacy Development in the Home

Frequency of sibling literacy interactions were examined in 134 families with at least two children, where at least one of the children attended school in grade one to grade four. Parents in the majority of families reported that their children read together on a regular basis without a parent present. This held across various demographic constellations including gender of the older child. However, children from families with three or more children were less likely to read with their siblings. Implications for parents and teachers are discussed.

Books in Motion: How a Community Literacy Project Impacts Its Participants

The purpose of this study was to explore the impact that a community literacy project had on the reading habits of young children and their families. This year-long study focuses on a public library-run program titled Books in Motion, in which community members read children’s chapter book and meet monthly to watch the book’s film translation. Using a case study approach in which I followed six groups of participants over several months, data sources included small-group structured interviews, individual open-ended interviews, written surveys, and field notes and a reflective journal from monthly film nights. The constant comparative model yielded three major themes, including the following (1) Books in Motion impacted community literacy interactions, (2) the program motivated participants in innovative ways, and (3) the program offered participants new literacy resources. Thus, children’s reading continues in engaging and creative formats through programs like Books in Motion. As public libraries seek to influence children’s reading today, Books in Motion exemplifies how diverse community members can benefit from a low-cost community literacy program.

Literacy environments for children with Down syndrome: What's happening at home?

This descriptive study investigated the home literacy environment of New Zealand children with Down syndrome. Participants were 85 children with Down syndrome enrolled in predominantly mainstream school programmes in years 1-8, who were aged between 5;4 (y; m) and 14;11 (M = 8;11, SD = 2;6), comprising an estimated 15% of children with Down syndrome in New Zealand primary education[1]. Survey data via questionnaire (modelled on Boudreau[2]), was gathered from participant's parents and targeted three broad themes including parents’ priorities regarding literacy for their child with Down syndrome, ways in which the HLE of children with Down syndrome supports literacy development and the ways children with Down syndrome participate in literacy interactions. Results were analysed for all participants and by age group which are presented when group differences were apparent. Results indicated the majority of parents are involved in regular literacy interactions with their child, although more with reading than with writing. Many children played an active role in joint reading activities, interacting with both pictures and text, although more with pictures than with text. Children were reported to use a wide range of writing materials. Parents also reported other ways in which they facilitated literacy development including active teaching, language games and library visits. Clinical implications for parents and professionals working with children with Down syndrome are discussed with reference to relationships between HLE variables and positive literacy outcomes and provide support for the development of targeted interventions specifically aimed at facilitating literacy with this population.

Understanding the nature and impact of young readers’ literacy interactions with talking books and during adult reading support

This paper reports an extended analysis of the study reported in [Wood, C. (2005). Beginning readers’ use of ‘talking books’ software can affect their reading strategies. Journal of Research in Reading, 28, 170–182.], in which five and six-year-old children received either six sessions using specially designed talking books or six sessions of one-to-one tuition with an adult using the paper-based versions of the same books. This analysis focuses on the nature of the children’s interactions with either the adult or the computer in an attempt to explore how these different resources impacted on the children’s literacy interactions, and whether different styles of literacy interaction observed within each group were associated with gains in phonological awareness or changes in reading strategy. Four styles of literacy interaction were identified and there was a significant association between these styles and membership of one of the two experimental conditions in the study. Interactional style was also seen to impact positively on phonological awareness development for lower ability children who used the talking books. In contrast, interactional style affected changes in reading strategy amongst children in the adult tutor condition. Finally, there was also an influence of interactional style on spontaneous dialogic reading by the children overall, but this effect originated from the children in the adult tutor group.

Home Environment and Family Resources to Support Literacy Interaction: Examples From Families of Children With Disabilities

Research Findings: Research on early literacy development within the family focuses primarily on parent–child interactions as they use literacy materials, typically books. However, features of the home environment and organization of family life, which provide the framework within which these interactions occur, are rarely investigated. These variables include space; time; family members' roles, responsibilities, and relationships; whether literacy activities are routines; and influences of community and culture. In this exploratory study, these physical, social, and symbolic resources of the family environment were measured using a home tour, photographs, book-reading observation, and an interview during two visits to six families who had children with mild to moderate disabilities. The data generated by these methods were then used to complete a summary measure, the Home Literacy Resource Checklist, for each family. The results indicated that the families who had previously reported reading to their child 1 to 3 times per week differed from those who had reported reading daily in resources such as help from people outside of the immediate family, existence of book-reading routines, a predictable daily schedule, use of the library, and presence of literacy materials. Practice or Policy: Further development of these measures and their use with a larger and more diverse sample are warranted so that practical knowledge about home and family life can contribute to interventions designed to improve the quantity and quality of family book reading.

Assistive Technology Toolkit to Increase Access to Early Learning Environments for Young Children With Disabilities

Abstract The development of assistive technology (AT) and augmentative and alternative communication (AAC) interventions for young children with disabilities is rapidly expanding with a range of no-tech, low-tech, and high-tech approaches to provide access to adapted and augmented tools for participation in inclusive early childhood settings. Discrepancies exist in the legal requirements to consider AT and AAC for all children in the IFSP/IEP planning process. Researchers in the applications of AT and AAC with young children identify the importance of activity-based approaches that infuse AT methods and AAC systems within natural routines for young children. This article focuses on the development of an AT Toolkit Guide for early intervention and early childhood providers. The development of the AT Toolkit concept, content, and applications is based on research-based methods and tools with demonstrated effectiveness to promote language development, emergent literacy skills, play, mobility, and interaction with the environment for young children with disabilities. Suggested items, sources, applications and development guidelines for the SWEET AT Toolkit are provided.

Siblings as an Untapped Literacy Resource for Boys?

Forty-four inner-city, second grade, Canadian children participated in individual interviews about home reading practices. Qualitative findings showed that many children were not read to by adults in their homes and that many children did not read to others in their homes. Unexpected findings demonstrated that these environments were more common for boys than for girls. Furthermore, boys showed twice the prevalence of literacy interactions with siblings as did girls. The findings are examined with a systems ecological view and suggest sibling relationships as potential resiliency mechanisms for addressing boys’ underachievement in reading and school.

Fathers' and young children's literacy experiences

A family literacy program was examined to document the literacy experiences of 25 fathers and their five‐year‐old children. Using a case study methodology, this study examined the effects of a literacy intervention program that was designed to assist fathers to promote their children's acquisition of literacy. The results indicated that the fathers who learn literacy strategies and activities can contribute to their children's literacy development. Fathers in the literacy intervention program received the same literacy instruction, but they modified the instruction to their own personal style, the literacy strategies, interactions, materials, and activities that they learned. The trends and innovations in the literacy program were related to the teaching‐learning process and their collaboration. These trends and innovations indicated that fathers can make important contributions to their children's literacy development.

Continuity and change in home literacy practices of Hispanic families with preschool children

The aim of this qualitative study was to examine how Latino immigrant families incorporate school‐based interactive literacy activities into their existing home literacy practices. Findings revealed that Hispanic parents appropriate school‐related literacy activities into their existing repertoire when they believed it would best help their children to succeed academically. At the same time, parents modified school‐related literacy activities to reflect their existing cultural beliefs and practices. These complex patterns of adapting school literacy practices into home literacy interactions revealed that Hispanic parents: (a) emphasise pleasure and interactivity in literacy activities; (b) merge supportive and direct instruction scaffolding strategies into home literacy instruction; (c) impart moral messages while engaging in interactive literacy activities with their children; and (d) activate linguistic resources by creating opportunities for bilingual literacy events to occur during school‐designed interactive literacy activities.

Community Literacy and Friendship Model for People With Intellectual Disabilities

Community living for adults with intellectual disabilities rarely translates to full community participation; and reports of loneliness, isolation, and lack of friendships are a recurring theme among individuals and in the literature (Bramston, Bruggerman, & Pretty, 2002; Chadsey & Beyer, 2001; Lunsky & Neely, 2002; Pottie & Sumarah, 2004). Likewise, meaningful and realistic opportunities for literacy and ongoing learning are virtually nonexistent for many people with intellectual disabilities. There is limited theoretical and practical knowledge of how adults with intellectual disabilities might maintain and/or develop literacy skills beyond school. Although we continue to refine our operational definitions of literacy (functional literacy, cultural literacy, computer literacy) and predict which skills may be necessary for success towards one’s life goals, most researchers agree on at least this one point: diminished literacy skills consistently result in a lower quality of life with fewer employment and leisure opportunities for this population (National Adult Literacy Survey, 2002). Though in some cases employers appear to be willing to hire persons with disabilities, employees need to demonstrate essential reading and interpersonal skills. Beyond the employment realm, access to literacy offers adults with intellectual disabilities increased opportunities for inclusion into local community life and culture and is a potentially life-empowering event. Experts now know that literacy is not a developmental end product but that oral language and written language are interrelated, reciprocal, and potentially lifelong learning endeavors (Teale & Sulzby, 1986). Research results suggest that for children, literacy ‘‘emerges’’ from a range of social and cultural experiences with other people and written language, including story books; magazines; handwritten lists, notes, and signs; and words on television, computer screens, and in movies. This emergent literacy (socially supported literacy interactions) facilitates both oral language and conventional literacy learning (Koppenhaver, Coleman, Kalman, & Yoder, 1991). Such literacy interactions are often highly motivating and effective contexts for social interaction, communication, and learning (Kirchner, 1991; Koppenhaver et al., 1991; Ratner, Parker, & Gardner, 1993; Watson, Layton, Pierce, & Abraham, 1994). Field reports from adult education programs consistently indicate difficulties meeting the specific needs of adults with intellectual disabilities due to a lack of community technical assistance (National Institute for Literacy, 1997). In a 1995 monograph by researchers from The Roeher Institute, the focus was on people with intellectual disabilities who sought literacy instruction. The common experiences expressed by participants interviewed included exclusion and segregation from the mainstream; the presumption of illness, discrimination, poverty, and loneliness; vulnerability to abuse; and violence. Similar to literacy, social connectedness (i.e., the extent to which individuals have friendships, engage in social activity, and feel a sense of belonging) positively correlates with a sense of empowerment and with overall quality of life (Lunsky & Neely, 2002). However, adults with intellectual disabilities often lack the opportunities and/or social skills necessary to participate in social events without adequate supports. Since the mid-1990s, individuals with intellectual disabilities have been living and working independently in their communities in unprecedented numbers (Nisbet & Hagner, 2000). Despite this increase, adults with intellectual disabilities rarely participate in local social activities (National Institute for Literacy, 1997). Many fundamental needs of people in this population are neither identified nor supported, and they continue to experience disproportionate segregation, isolation, and loneliness within their homes and communities (Bramston et al., 2002; Chadsey & Beyer, 2001; Minnes, Buell, Feldman, McColl, & McCreary, 2002; Nisbet & Hagner, 2000).

Young children's literacy‐related play

Studies indicate that young children’s literacy learning can be promoted in a play setting. Literacy interactions, strategies, and activities in the children’s play environment can facilitate their acquisition of literacy. In literacy‐related play experiences, children select and utilize their abilities that are essential for literacy learning in a social context. Social contexts become pressing venues for introducing children to literacy knowledge and practices, where children develop their language and literacy through their everyday social activities. Children use play as an important resource to explore their developing conceptions of the purposes and characteristics of print in the preschool years. During play young children use language in literate ways, while they use literacy as they see it practiced. A play and literacy relationship emerges when play assists young children to explore and comprehend the interactions between these two realms. The purpose of this paper is to review and analyze current studies that examine the interaction between play and literacy.

Invitations to Families in an Early Literacy Support Program

Teachers know that when families are involved meaningfully in schools, students perform better in academic, behavioral, and emotional domains. This article describes a project designed to enhance the quality of children's literacy interactions with family members and simultaneously increase family involvement at school. The level of participation of a classroom teacher is key in implementing a family literacy support program in a low-income neighborhood.

Facilitating Literacy Using Experience Books

Children who are deaf or hard-of-hearing (DHH) are particularly vulnerable for later reading problems. This article describes the use of experience books, associated with the Language Experience Approach (LEA), as a motivating and linguistically appropriate literacy tool for young children who are DHH. The authors explain how remediation strategies enhance early literacy interactions with children who are DHH and demonstrate how experience books can be used in a way that mitigates potential weaknesses of LEA. A case study is presented that demonstrates how experience books provided opportunities for implicit and explicit language and literacy teaching and learning in one family with children who are DHH.

Finding the Keys to Biliteracy: How Young Children Interpret Different Writing Systems

This paper discusses ways in which young bilingual children understand the principles underlying different writing systems. Six case studies were conducted, involving six-year-olds growing up in London who were learning to write in Chinese, Arabic or Spanish at the same time as English. The children's formal and informal literacy interactions were observed at home, community language school and primary school. Peer teaching sessions were also set up so that children could demonstrate their ideas about Chinese, Arabic or Spanish to primary school classmates. Findings show that these young emergent biliterates were able to grasp concepts from different systems, by producing their own interpretations of the input provided by teachers and family. A discussion follows as to whether such understandings were heightened by dealing with more than one writing system, and whether the research points to a more general propensity amongst young children to look for the principles involved in graphic representation. Finally, the paper argues that mainstream educators need to recognise the cognitive gains for minority-language children who are becoming biliterate and offer support for this important area of learning.

To mediate or not to mediate, that is the question!

For decades, we educators have been plagued by the question of how best to transmit literacy knowledge to the apprentices in our culture. At present, the argument swings between those who consider literacy as a matter of language development (Burke, Harste and Woodward 1981; Clay 1972; Doake 1981; Dyson 1982; Lindfors 1980; Taylor 1983) and those who view literacy as knowledge to be transmitted sequentially in carefully graded steps (Engleman and Osborn 1970; Gough 1972; La Berge and Samuels 1974). Perhaps the constant search for the best method has caused us to pay insufficient attention to what I consider to be the heart of the matter the interaction process. In 1982, being extremely curious as to the nature of literacy interactions in the home and the kindergarten, I decided to observe a group of five preschool children, David, Jeff, Michelle, Nadia, and Wendy, in the natural settings of home and kindergarten over a period of fifteen months. Taking into account the complexity of the contexts, the dynamic interactions involved in literacy development and the purpose of the study interaction as it related to literacy development a qualitative research approach was dictated. Adopting the role of passive participant, in the first phase, the homes were visited 40 times involving 129 hours of observation. In the second phase 51 kindergarten visits were made involving 160 hours of observation. The main data were collected in the form of field notes and audio tapes and throughout both phases the parents kept a log of the children's literacy behavior which they observed when I was not present. Twelve home visits were also made in the second phase. Searches in the literature revealed a picture of the child as an active language learner who has considerable knowledge of our written language system before school entrance (Clark 1976; Clay 1975; Doake 1981; Heath 1982; Snow 1983; Taylor 1983). However, little data could be found on the nature of literacy transmission/interaction in the kindergarten setting. Why has this crucial area of transition from the home to the school been neglected for so long? Is this a reflection of a belief that the main purpose of the kindergarten is social and not intellectual? Indeed, many kindergarten teachers believe that kindergarten children are not ready for literacy.

Family Literacy: Exploring Family Practices

For many decades, research has supported the family's influence and their children's acquisition of literacy. Family literacy theories have been generated and challenged, while studies have been conducted on the family's application of literacy interactions, experiences, strategies, materials, influential factors and programs in a variety of context and both inside and outside the home. Most studies suggest that family literacy contributes to young children's literacy development.