Young learners: The home literacy environments of Australian four-year-olds

Abstract

This study investigated the home literacy environments (HLEs) of 4-year-old children attending an early childhood program prior to school entry and the association between the HLE and children's interests in and attitudes to literacy. One hundred and thirty-eight parents and 140 children participated in the study. Parents completed a questionnaire and children were interviewed. Results showed that, generally, these parents created somewhat rich literacy environments, and that traditional literacy (as opposed to techno-literacy) materials predominated. Frequency of the parents' own reading was positively associated with the frequency with which parents read to their children. Richness of pare..