From Parent to Child: The Effects of a Home Learning Program on Attitudes and Achievements

Literacy is shared value in our culture, yet many adults are unable or unwilling to read. Research indicates that the beginnings of literacy occur long before formal education. The purpose of this study was to determine the effects of the Preschool Reading Experience Program on the attitudes and pre-reading skills of four- and five-year-old children. The subjects were 96 children enrolled in four San Diego preschools, and their parents. The methodology was quasi-experimental with a treatment and a control group. Interactions of sex, age, and type of preschool were also considered. Results of the quantitative data indicated that children who participated in PREP increased their skills in the areas of letter and word recognition. Attitude measures indicated no significant effect. Results of the qualitative data indicated positive changes in attitudes as well as pre-reading skills. The interactions of sex, age and type of school were all non-significant. An investigation of the home literary environments of the participants suggested three factors that may affect and encourage early reading: onset age of reading aloud, frequency of library use and the education level of the parents. Parents in the treatment group expressed an eagerness to participate in their children\u27s early reading experiences. Progress in the program, however, was consistently reported to be child and not parent directed