Literature Review: The Role of Family Literacy Practices in Promoting Early Childhood Literacy.
Chinelo, O., Daniel.
Introduction:
The foundational years of a child's life are critical for their cognitive, emotional, and social development. The period from birth to age 3 is particularly critical for language development, as almost all typically developing children acquire important language skills by age 3 (Hoff, 2009). Among the various domains of early childhood development, literacy stands out as particularly crucial. Literacy encompasses the ability to read and write and includes listening, speaking, and understanding—skills essential for effective communication and learning throughout life. Family literacy practices, which refer to how families engage with and promote literacy activities at home, play a vital role in fostering these early literacy skills.
Children's home environments are crucial because parents are the principal providers of language input and support, which allow most children to acquire the basic rudiments of language (Bruner, 1981; Vernon-Feagans, 1996). Research has consistently shown that children who are exposed to rich literacy environments at home tend to perform better in school and have higher literacy skills compared to their peers who lack such exposure. While schools, of course, play a role in supporting literacy development, children's literacy learning is also correlated with the level of parent involvement (e.g. Arnold et al., 2008; National Early Literacy Panel, 2008; Whitehurst et al., 1994). This is because family literacy practices provide a natural and meaningful context for children to develop their language and literacy skills.
Early childhood literacy has garnered significant attention from educators, policymakers, and researchers alike. In particular, the role of family literacy practices has emerged as a key area of interest due to its potential to bridge gaps in educational outcomes, especially among children from diverse socio-economic backgrounds. Understanding how families contribute to early literacy development is essential for developing effective interventions and support systems that can enhance these practices. The purpose of this literature review is to explore the various dimensions of family literacy practices and their impact on early childhood literacy. It aims to synthesize existing research findings, identify the most effective family literacy practices, and highlight the factors that influence these practices. Additionally, it will address gaps in the current literature and suggest areas for future research.
Methodology
All articles included in this literature review are research reports and peer-reviewed literacy journals from UTA libraries A-Z databases; Academic Search Complete. The first step to locating the works of literature used in this review was to identify the topic and narrow it to a few key terms. I searched for the articles using the following keywords: family literacy AND early childhood literacy, family literacy OR early childhood literacy, family AND “promoting early childhood literacy”, etc., which helped me to identify literature clearly related to the topic.
Cross-article Connections
Connection 1: Parent Involvement
Parents are the first teachers a child encounters as they grow, they learn their first words from their parents or caregivers. Therefore parental involvement in building a child’s literacy should be considered the bed-rock of early literacy development. Forey et al. (2015), in the article Parental Involvement in Foreign Language Learning: The Case of Hong Kong, state that Parental involvement is seen as contributing significantly to the advancement of a child’s literacy development. Coba-Rodriguez & Jarrett (2022) put forward the research conducted in the United States has shown that a home literacy environment (e.g., explicitly teaching letters, and shared book-reading) improves the early literacy skills of young children and supports their later reading achievement (Coba-Rodriguez & Jarrett, 2022. An investigation of the perspectives of low-income Latina mothers with preschoolers transitioning to kindergarten).
Synonymously, Di Santo et al. (2015) mentioned that; research indicates that when adults, particularly parents, take advantage of opportunities to engage in literacy activities with their preschool children, they are setting the foundation for their children’s success in school (Mommy that’s the exit.’: Empowering homeless mothers to support their children’s daily literacy experiences,). Preschoolers’ success in school is enriched with the quality of preliminary parental literacy engagement which sets the child up and ready for schooling. Reading aloud with an adult provides opportunities for the child to ask and answer questions, which also helps to develop key conversational skills and strengthens the child’s readiness for formal reading instruction later ( Forey et al., 2015).
Connection 2: Home Environments for literacy development
The home environment is the comfort zone of a child. There’s no safer place for a child other than the home within the comfort of their parents. Therefore, to set the ball rolling for a child’s pre-schooling and primary grades, parents must set the home environment similar to what the child is about to encounter outside. Di Santo et al. (2015) stated in their article (Mommy that’s the Exit.’: Empowering Homeless Mothers to Support Their Children’s Daily Literacy Experiences) that home environments that support children’s exploration and learning foster children’s cognitive, language, social, and emotional development as well as their transition to school and school achievement. Roberts & Rochester, 2021, agreed that home literacy environments, which consist of a variety of available print and digital materials and family members and other caregivers, shape children’s emerging literacy knowledge and skills (Learning through Everyday Activities: Improving Preschool Language and Literacy Outcomes Via Family Workshops).
Swain & Cara, (2017), used a mixed-method research design to conduct a study on the Home Literacy Environment (HEL) by categorizing the HLE into four dimensions which include: Family Resources, Parental Literacy Behaviours and Attitudes, Parental Beliefs and Understandings, and Family Literacy Activities and Practices. After conducting the study they confirmed that the home literacy environment plays a fundamental role in the process of literacy acquisition, and the data collected show that many parents were able to make changes in, and to, the home setting by being able to translate and transfer the schools’ ways of teaching literacy into the home and beyond. (Swain & Cara, 2017. Changing the home literacy environment through participation in family literacy programs)
Connection 3: Family Literacy Activities
Roberts & Rochester (2021) argue that the differences in the availability of materials, types of activities in which families engage, and frequency of engagement, influence the extent to which young children experience opportunities for literacy learning. Activities such as reading books together, storytelling, singing songs, and engaging in conversations are all part of these practices and contribute to a child's literacy development. There are many ways to support literacy at home and encourage parents to make choices that reflect their realities, emphasizing practices that can be easily woven into the fabric of the home and everyday family life—such as referring to recipes when preparing family meals and engaging children in meaningful conversations while waiting for the bus, taking a bath, cleaning up, etc. (Roberts & Rochester, 2021, Learning through Everyday Activities: Improving Preschool Language and Literacy Outcomes Via Family Workshops).
Activities and practices are not limited to only non-digital or offline activities. We also include family digital literacy activities with the children such as watching TV together, supporting the child’s interests - listening to music and dancing, communicating with family relatives online, joint searching for information and images online, digital sketching, etc. The ability to read, write, and communicate in multimodal ways, both offline and online, will influence children’s futures (Kumpulainen et al., 2018, Young children’s digital literacy practices in the sociocultural contexts of their homes). In agreement with the use of digital literacy practices to promote children’s literacy development, Forey et al. (2015) mentioned that visual media was the second most popular way parents supported their children’s English learning by providing their children with English movies, and cartoons and letting them watch English TV. On the other hand, the use of visual media could also be a manifestation of a broader multiliteracy perspective (Parental Involvement in Foreign Language Learning: The Case of Hong Kong,).
Connection 4: Socio-emotional benefits of family literacy practices
Children who are emotionally balanced and stable will have the capacity to face the social world. There’s no better place a child can receive the emotional stability he/she needs if not from intimate family members. Charity they say begins at home. Family literacy practices offer significant social benefits by fostering strengthened family bonds and improved communication. When parents and children engage in activities like reading books or storytelling together, they spend quality time that enhances their emotional connection and creates a sense of closeness. Regular reading routines offer a comforting sense of stability, reducing stress and anxiety for both children and parents. Neyer et al. state that in order to fully understand the benefits of home-based literacy programs, it is necessary to look beyond the quantitative measurement of test scores and academic achievement and to explore potential socio-emotional and relational benefits that might support not only enrolled children but, also perhaps, the entire family. Neyer et al. used qualitative measures to evaluate an affiliate of one home-based literacy program, Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library (DPIL). Interviews with parents of children enrolled in the program were used to identify ways the DPIL program benefitted their children and families outside of the traditional cognitive and academic measures. The result found that the ways families schedule reading are building routine and stability into the family and also encouraging family bonding through the creation of reading rituals that the whole family anticipates. They are using books as a way to spend quality time with one another (Neyer et al. 2021, Beyond the numbers: Social and emotional benefits of participation in the Imagination Library home-based literacy program).`
Similarly, Melissa Derby (2021) noted in her study the influence of mothers on children’s early literacy development, observing that some mothers in their study believed reading books with their children helped to expand their children’s vocabulary and knowledge, fostered a sense of morality, and strengthened communication and life skills. Strommen and Mates (2004) contend that when children observe particular ideas, behaviors, or feelings about reading, such as whether it is enjoyable, beneficial, or boring, their mothers, these observations have a significant effect on the attitudes and behaviors children develop towards reading (Derby, 2021. Exploring the effects of home-based literacy intervention on the family literacy practices of Māori preschool children). These practices help build a foundation for lifelong learning, emotional well-being, and strong family relationships. Engaging in literacy activities together not only enhances children's academic skills but also fosters a sense of security, belonging, and emotional health within the family unit.
Connection 5: The Effects of Socioeconomic Status on Early Childhood Literacy
Socioeconomic status (SES) is a major determinant of children's access or lack of access to early childhood literacy. Children from higher SES backgrounds often have greater access to resources that foster literacy, such as books, educational toys, and stimulating learning environments. Conversely, children from lower SES backgrounds frequently face barriers that can impede their early literacy development. Limited financial resources often restrict access to books and educational materials. Furthermore, lower SES parents might have lower educational levels, which can affect the quantity and quality of linguistic interactions with their children.
Burris et al., 2019 put forward that parents of lower SES reported engaging in home literacy environment (HLE) practices with their children less frequently than higher SES parents. Children from lower SES households tend to score lower on measures of early literacy upon school entry than do their higher SES peers. (Examining the Relations of the Home Literacy Environments of Families of Low SES with Children’s Early Literacy Skills).
Another research study argues that the lack of educational opportunities has resulted in limited employment advantages, with parents in low-wealth rural regions often working nonstandard hours in low-paying service-sector jobs and commuting long distances to work. These factors may impede parents’ ability to spend quality time with their children (Enchautegui, 2013; Vernon-Feagans et al., 2013), including how many literacy opportunities they can share with their children, which, in turn, would benefit the children's language development (Zgourou et al., 2020, Home Literacy Practices in Relation to Language Skills of Children Living in low-wealth Rural Communities).
Socioeconomic disadvantage harms the home literacy environment due to homelessness or lack of access to decent housing. Di Santo et al. (2015) support this in their article by saying; that studies have shown that homeless children are less likely to score at or above grade level in maths and reading (Aviles de Bradley, 2008), and how they live may negatively influence their literacy development. Researchers have found that the most common causes of mild cognitive challenges in children stem from living in poverty and/or being homeless (Mommy that’s the Exit.’: Empowering Homeless Mothers to Support Their Children’s Daily Literacy Experiences).
Findings and conclusion:
From the study, we have agreed that parental involvement contributes significantly to the advancement of a child’s literacy development. They set the foundation for their child’s future school success by engaging in home literacy practices with them. A home environment that supports early childhood literacy is vital to boost a child’s literacy development. We have discovered from this study that home environments that support children’s exploration and learning by equipping the home with varieties of available print and digital materials, family members, and other caregivers, foster children’s cognitive, language, social, and emotional development and as well shape children’s emerging literacy knowledge and skills. It's not enough to equip the home with literacy materials, the availability of parents and other family members or caregivers is needed for the child’s maximal engagement in literacy activities. Activities such as reading books together, storytelling, singing songs, and engaging in conversations are all part of these practices and contribute to a child's literacy development. As stated in the study, literacy practice activities are not limited to offline and non-digital activities, we have mentioned some digital and online practices children can engage with their family to promote literacy development.
Parents engaging in literacy activities with the children not only enhance children's academic skills, they also foster a sense of security, belonging, and emotional health within the family unit. Family literacy engagements with children have a great social and emotional impact on them. For a child to build emotional stability, emotional support must stem from home which will, in turn, culminate in a well-balanced social life. Socioeconomic status is another major impact on early childhood literacy development. Children from lower SES status have a lower home literacy development experience than those from higher socioeconomic status. Low-income parents often spend most of their time working long hours, which might impede their ability to spend quality time with their children.
Future study
Our finding reported that parents of lower socioeconomic status (SES) reported engaging in home literacy environment (HLE) practices with their children less frequently than higher SES parents. However, this report needs to be further investigated. As it’s known, higher socioeconomic individuals are much more occupied with several business engagements and activities than lower SES individuals; so do they really have more time to spend and engage in home literacy development with their children than the lower SES parents? Our next study will look towards that, to examine parents from higher SES and lower SES to have a proven and reliable report on the subject matter.
References
Forey et al. (2015). Parental Involvement in Foreign Language Learning: The Case of Hong Kong.
Kathryn, L., Roberts, & Shana, E., Rochester. (2021). Learning through Everyday Activities: Improving Preschool Language and Literacy Outcomes Via Family Workshops.
Zgourou et al. (2020). Home Literacy Practices in Relation to Language Skills of Children Living in low-wealth Rural Communities.
Burris et al., (2019). Examining the Relations of the Home Literacy Environments of Families of Low SES with Children’s Early Literacy Skills.
Di Santo et al. (2015). Mommy that’s the Exit.’: Empowering Homeless Mothers to Support Their Children’s Daily Literacy Experiences.
Coba-Rodriguez & Jarrett, 2022. An investigation of the perspectives of low-income Latina mothers with preschoolers transitioning to kindergarten.
Derby. (2021). Exploring the effects of a home-based literacy intervention on the family literacy practices of Māori preschool children.
Neyer et al. (2021) Beyond the numbers: Social and emotional benefits of participation in the Imagination Library home-based literacy program.
Kumpulainen et al. (2018). Young children’s digital literacy practices in the sociocultural contexts of their homes.
Swain & Cara. (2017). Changing the home literacy environment through participation in family literacy programs.
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