Home literacy environments and emergent literacy skills of English- and Spanish-speaking students.

Learning to read is a process that begins long before a child enters school. One of the most important things that parents can do to help their children prepare for school is to create home environments that promote literacy. The purpose of the present study was to examine kindergarten student\u27s home literacy environments in relation to their emergent literacy skills. A home literacy environment questionnaire was administered to both English-speaking and Spanish-speaking parents of kindergarten students enrolled in a dual language program. The questionnaire was then compared to data collected on students\u27 emergent literacy skills. Results of the study provide information for parents as well as educators concerning literacy activities that contribute to the development of children\u27s literacy skills