Examining the relationship between parents’ beliefs about reading and home literacy environment
Home literacy environment of preschoolers
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.29329/pedper.2025.119Keywords:
Literacy environment, early childhood, reading beliefs, parental beliefsAbstract
A positive home environment created by parents effectively fosters the development of children’s literacy skills. The beliefs of parents play a crucial role in shaping the activities they engage in with their children, the home environment they create, and the resources they provide. There is a need to clarify the extent to which parents’ reading beliefs play a role in the home literacy environment. This study aims to examine the relationship between parents’ beliefs about reading and the home early literacy environment they provide for their children. The participants consist of 121 caregivers of preschool children (108 mothers and 13 fathers). Data for this correlational study were gathered using the Parent Reading Belief Inventory and the Home Early Literacy Environment Scale. The analysis focused on the self-reports provided by the parents. Findings showed that parents have a moderate level of beliefs about reading. In addition, parents typically create a medium to high-quality home literacy environment for their preschoolers. Significant relationships were identified between parents’ beliefs about reading and the early literacy environment they create at home for their children. Findings confirmed the significance of parents’ positive beliefs about reading in creating a quality home literacy environment that enhances children’s literacy skills.
References
Akyüz, E. (2016). Okul öncesi dönem çocuklarının kendiliğinden ortaya çıkan okuryazarlık becerilerinin gelişimi ve ev okuryazarlık ortamı ile ilişkisi [Development of preschool children's emergent literacy skills and its relation to home literacy environment]. [Yayımlanmamış doktora tezi]. Hacettepe Üniversitesi.
Aydoğan, Y. (2006). Ev ortamının çocuğun gelişimine göre düzenlenmesi [Organizing the home environment according to the child’s development]. Aile ve Toplum Eğitim Kültür ve Araştırma Dergisi, 3(10), 27–33. https://doi.org/10.21560/spcd.52543
Balcı, A. (2016). Sosyal bilimlerde araştırma yöntem, teknik ve ilkeler [Research methods, techniques, and principles in social sciences]. Pegem Yayıncılık.
Benli, F. Ö., Demir, B. N., & Bay, D. N. (2022). Examination of teachers’ classroom practises on print awareness in preschool education. The Journal of Interdisciplinary Educational Research, 6(13), 305–327. https://doi.org/10.57135/jier.1143046
Berkule, S. B., Dreyer, B. P., Huberman, H. S., Fierman, A. H., & Mendelsohn, A. L. (2007). Attitudes about shared reading among at-risk mothers of newborn babies. Ambulatory Pediatrics, 7(1), 45–50. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ambp.2006.10.004
Bracken, S. S., & Fischel, J. E. (2008). Family reading behavior and early literacy skills in preschool children from low-income backgrounds. Early Education and Development, 19(1), 45–67.
Burgess, S. R., Hecht, S. A., & Lonigan, C. J. (2002). Relations of the home literacy environment (HLE) to the development of reading-related abilities: A one-year longitudinal study. Reading Research Quarterly, 37(4), 408–426. https://doi.org/10.1598/RRQ.37.4.4
Bus, A. G., Van IJzendoorn, M. H., & Pellegrini, A. D. (1995). Joint book reading makes for success in learning to read: A meta-analysis on intergenerational transmission of literacy. Review of Educational Research, 65, 1–21. https://doi.org/10.3102/00346543065001001
Cabell, S. Q., Justice, L. M., Konold, T. R., & McGinty, A. S. (2010). Profiles of emergent literacy skills among preschool children who are at risk for academic difficulties. Early Childhood Research Quarterly, 26(1), 1–14. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ecresq.2010.05.003
Coşkun, L. (2023). Çocuğu okul öncesi eğitime devam eden annelerin okuma inancı ve ev erken okuryazarlık ortamlarının demografik değişkenler açısından incelenmesi [Examination of home early literacy environment and reading beliefs of mothers with preschoolers in terms of demographic variables]. Türk Eğitim Bilimleri Dergisi, 21(1), 425–452.
Çelenk, S. (2003). Emergent literacy period in early reading and writing. Ankara University Journal of Faculty of Educational Sciences, 36(1), 75–80. https://doi.org/10.1501/Egifak_0000000073
DeBaryshe, B. D. (1995). Maternal belief systems: Linchpin in the home reading process. Journal of Applied Developmental Psychology, 16, 1–20. https://doi.org/10.1016/0193-3973(95)90013-6
DeBaryshe, B. D., & Binder, J. C. (1994). Development of an instrument for measuring parental beliefs about reading aloud to young children. Perceptual and Motor Skills, 78, 1303–1311. https://doi.org/10.2466/pms.1994.78.3c.13
DeBaryshe, B. D., Binder, J. C., & Buell, M. J. (2000). Mothers’ implicit theories of early literacy instruction: Implications for children's reading and writing. Child Development and Care, 160, 119–131. https://doi.org/10.1080/0030443001600111
Demir-Lira, Ö. E., Applebaum, L. R., Goldin-Meadow, S., & Levine, S. C. (2019). Parents’ early book reading to children: Relation to children’s later language and literacy outcomes controlling for other parent language input. Developmental Science, 22(3), e12764. https://doi.org/10.1111/desc.12764
Erdoğan, T., Altınkaynak Özen, Ş., & Erdoğan, Ö. (2013). An analysis of the literacy activities provided by preschool teachers. Elementary Education Online, 12(4), 1188–1199. https://core.ac.uk/download/pdf/230029369.pdf
Evans, M. A., Shaw, D., & Bell, M. (2000). Home literacy activities and their influence on early literacy skills. Canadian Journal of Experimental Psychology, 54(2), 65.
Ezell, H. K., & Justice, L. M. (2005). Shared storybook: Building young children’s language and emergent literacy skill. Paul H. Publishing Co.
Fraenkel, J., Wallen, N., & Hyun, H. (2012). How to design and evaluate research in education (8th ed.). McGraw-Hill Education.
Frijters, J. C., Barron, R. W., & Brunello, M. (2000). Direct and mediated influences of home literacy and literacy interest on prereaders’ oral vocabulary and early written language skill. Journal of Educational Psychology, 92(3), 466–477. https://doi.org/10.1037/0022-0663.92.3.466
Gerde, H. K., Bingham, G. E., & Wasik, B. (2012). Writing in early childhood classrooms: Guidance for best practices. Early Childhood Education Journal, 40(6), 351–359. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10643-012-0531-z
Gök, S., & Öztürk, E. (2023). Başlangıç düzeyi okuyucularının okuma motivasyonu üzerinde aile okuma inançlarının etkisi [The effect of family reading beliefs on beginning level readers’ reading motivation]. Avrasya Dil Eğitimi ve Araştırmaları Dergisi, 7(1), 82–106.
Gonzalez, J. E., Taylor, A. B., McCormick, A. S., Villareal, V., Kim, M., Perez, E., Darensbourg, A., & Haynes, R. (2010). Exploring the underlying factor structure of the home literacy environment (HLE) in the English and Spanish versions of the Familia Inventory: A cautionary tale. Early Childhood Research Quarterly, 26(4), 475–483.
Harper, L. (2011). Nursery rhyme knowledge and phonological awareness in preschool children. The Journal of Language and Literacy Education, 7(1), 65–78. https://eric.ed.gov/?id=EJ1097164
Hindman, A. H., Wasik, B. A., & Erhart, A. M. (2012). Shared book reading and Head Start preschoolers’ vocabulary learning: The role of book-related discussion and curricular connections. Early Education and Development, 23(4), 451–474. https://doi.org/10.1080/10409289.2010.537250
Hume, L. E., Lonigan, C. J., & McQueen, J. D. (2012). Children’s literacy interest and its relation to parents’ literacy-promoting practices. Journal of Research in Reading, 38(2), 172–193. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1467-9817.2012.01548.x
Karaahmetoğlu, B., & Turan, F. (2020). Gelişimsel yetersizliği olan ve normal gelişen çocukların ailelerinin erken okuryazarlığa ilişkin inançları ile erken okuryazarlık ev ortamının incelenmesi [Investigation of parental early literacy beliefs and early literacy home environment of the children with developmental disability and typical development]. Hacettepe Üniversitesi Eğitim Fakültesi Dergisi, 35(2), 243–253. https://doi.org/10.16986/HUJE.2019051687
Karaahmetoğlu, B., & Turan, F. (2022). Erken Okuryazarlık Ev Ortamı Ölçeği (EROY-EV)’nin geçerlik ve güvenirlik çalışması [The Reliability and Validity of the Home Early Literacy Environment Scale (HELE)]. Cumhuriyet Uluslararası Eğitim Dergisi, 11(3), 479–487. https://doi.org/10.30703/cije.1009787
Kargın, T., Güldenoğlu, B., & Ergül, C. (2017). Anasınıfı çocuklarının erken okuryazarlık beceri profili: Ankara örneklemi [Early literacy skill profile of kindergarten children: Ankara sample]. Ankara Üniversitesi Eğitim Bilimleri Fakültesi Özel Eğitim Dergisi, 18(1), 61–87.
Katrancı, M., & Yetgin, A. (2019). Parents’ views on children’s reading and library habits and children’s library. International Journal of Turkish Literature Culture Education, 8(3), 1817–1839.
Kuşçul, H. Ö. (1993). Home context and the development of pre-literacy skills in the child [Yayımlanmamış doktora tezi]. Boğaziçi University.
Liu, C., Georgiou, G. K., & Manolitsis, G. (2018). Modeling the relationships of parents’ expectations, family’s SES, and home literacy environment with emergent literacy skills and word reading in Chinese. Early Childhood Research Quarterly, 43, 1–10. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ecresq.2017.11.001
Martini, F., & Sénéchal, M. (2012). Learning literacy skills at home: Parent teaching, expectations, and child interest. Canadian Journal of Behavioural Science, 44(3), 210–221.
Milli Eğitim Bakanlığı (MEB). (2013). Okul öncesi eğitim programı [Early childhood education program]. http://tegm.meb.gov.tr/dosya/okuloncesi/ooproram.pdf
National Center for Education Statistics. (2006). The condition of education 2006 (NCES 2006–071). U.S. Department of Education. https://nces.ed.gov/pubsearch/pubsinfo.asp?pubid=2006071
Nergis, A. (2008). İlköğretim birinci sınıf öğrencilerinin ön okuryazarlık davranışları ile annelerinin okuryazarlığa olan ilgisi arasındaki ilişki [The relationship between pre-literacy behaviours of the first grade students and their mothers’ interest in literacy]. [Yayımlanmış yüksek lisans tezi]. Marmara University.
Neuman, S. B., & Kaefer, T. (2018). Developing low-income children’s vocabulary and content knowledge through a shared book reading program. Contemporary Educational Psychology, 52, 15–24.
Neuman, S. B., Kaefer, T., & Pinkham, A. (2014). Building background knowledge. The Reading Teacher, 68, 145–148.
OECD. (2012). Let’s Read Them a Story! The Parent Factor in Education. PISA, OECD Publishing. https://doi.org/10.1787/9789264176232-en
Ozturk, G., Hill, S., & Yates, G. (2016). Family context and five-year-old children’s attitudes toward literacy when they are learning to read. Reading Psychology, 37(3), 487–509.
Özbek-Ayaz, C. (2015). Ailelerin okul öncesi dönemdeki çocuklarının okuryazarlık becerilerini desteklemek için kullandıkları okuryazarlık uygulamalarının incelenmesi: Tekirdağ ili örneği [Examining the literacy practices used by families to support the literacy skills of their preschool children: The example of Tekirdağ province]. [Yayımlanmış yüksek lisans tezi]. Canakkale Onsekiz Mart University.
Pajares, F. (1992). Teacher beliefs and educational research: Cleaning up a messy construct. Review of Educational Research, 62(3), 307–332. https://doi.org/10.3102/00346543062003307
Ratka-Pauler, A., Birnbaum, L., & Kröner, S. (2024). The role of parents’ beliefs regarding their children’s literacy acquisition. Frontiers in Education, 9, 1330091. https://doi.org/10.3389/feduc.2024.1330091
Romatowski, J. A., & Trepanier, M. L. (1977). Examining and influencing the home reading behaviors of young children. ERIC No. ED 195. 938. https://files.eric.ed.gov/fulltext/ED195938.pdf
Sénéchal, M., & LeFevre, J. A. (2014). Continuity and change in the home literacy environment as predictors of growth in vocabulary and reading. Child Development, 85(4), 1552–1568.
Sonnenschein, S., & Munsterman, K. (2002). The influence of home-based reading interactions on 5-year-olds’ reading motivations and early literacy development. Early Childhood Research Quarterly, 17(3), 318–337. https://doi.org/10.1016/S0885-2006(02)00167-9
Sonnenschein, S., Stites, M., & Dowling, R. (2021). Learning at home: What preschool children’s parents do and what they want to learn from their children’s teachers. Journal of Early Childhood Research, 19(3), 309–322.
Şimşek Çetin, Ö., & Bay, D. N. (2019). Determination of the reading believes of the mothers having children in the pre-school period. Mehmet Akif Ersoy Üniversitesi Eğitim Fakültesi Dergisi, 50, 389–412. https://doi.org/10.21764/maeuefd.433034
Şimşek Çetin, Ö., Bay, D. N., & Alisinanoğlu, F. (2014). Ebeveyn Okuma İnanç Ölçeği'nin Türkçe’ye uyarlama çalışması [The adaptation study of Parent Reading Belief Inventory to Turkish]. Electronic Turkish Studies, 9(2), 1441–1458. http://dx.doi.org/10.7827/TurkishStudies.6185
Tanju, E. H. (2010). Çocuklarda kitap okuma alışkanlığına genel bir bakış [Book reading habit of children: A general review]. Aile ve Toplum, 6(22), 30–39. https://dergipark.org.tr/tr/download/article-file/197991
Tercanlı Metin, G., & Gökçay, G. (2014). Bebeklik ve erken çocukluk döneminde kitap okuma: Çocuk sağlığı izlemlerinde etkili bir gelişim önerisi [Reading book during ınfancy and early childhood: An effective recommendation for well-child care]. Çocuk Dergisi, 14(3), 89–94. https://doi.org/10.5222/j.child.2014.089
Thompson, K., Richardson, L. P., Newman, H., & George, K. (2019). Interaction effects of socioeconomic status on emerging literacy and literacy skills among pre-kindergarten and kindergarten children: A comparison study. Journal of Human Services: Training, Research, and Practice, 4(1), Article 5. https://scholarworks.sfasu.edu/jhstrp/vol4/iss1/5
Uluay, G., & Çetinkaya, S. (2024). Developing the scale for identifying primary school students’ home digital activities. Pedagogical Perspective, 3(1), 25–51. https://doi.org/10.29329/pedper.2024.45
Van Steensel, R. (2006). Relations between socio‐cultural factors, the home literacy environment and children’s literacy development in the first years of primary education. Journal of Research in Reading, 29(4), 367–382. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1467-9817.2006.00301.x
Van Vechten, D. (2013). Impact of home literacy environments on students from low socioeconomic status backgrounds. Education Masters. Paper 248. https://fisherpub.sjf.edu/education_ETD_masters/248
Wang, H. H. (2014). Home literacy environment, the quality of mother-child book reading interactions, and Taiwanese children’s early literacy development [Unpublished doctoral dissertation]. Syracuse University.
Weigel, D. J., Martin, S. S., & Bennet, K. K. (2005). Ecological influences of the home and the child-care center on preschool-age children’s literacy development. Reading Research Quarterly, 40(2), 204–233. https://doi.org/10.1598/RRQ.40.2.4
Yılmaz Hiğde, A., Baştuğ, M., & Cihan, H. (2020). Okul öncesi dönem ebeveynlerinin ev okuryazarlığı yaşantılarının incelenmesi [An investigation of home literacy experiences of preschool parents]. Journal of Mother Tongue Education, 8(2), 628–645. https://doi.org/10.16916/aded.650894
Young, K. T., Davis, K., & Schoen, C. (1996). The Commonwealth Fund survey of parents with young children. New York: Commonwealth Fund.
Downloads
Published
How to Cite
Issue
Section
License
Copyright (c) 2025 İrem Gürgah Oğul, Özlem Karayer
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License.
