Caregiver-Child Interactions and Early Literacy Development of Preschool Children From Low-Income Environments

• Published in: Topics in early childhood special education 1999, Vol.19 (1), p.3-14
• Main Author: Rush, Karen L.
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Caregiver Child Relationship; Child Development; Development; Early Childhood Education; Early Reading; Emergent Literacy; Expressive Language; Family Environment; Grade 1; High Risk Students; Language Acquisition; Language Skills; Literacy; Low Income; Low income families; Parent-Child interactions; Phonemic Awareness; Phonological Awareness; Preschool Children; Primary Education; Project Head Start; Reading Achievement; Reading Skills; Receptive Language; Relationship; Secondary Education; Skill Development; Thinking Skills; USA; Vocabulary Development; Young Children
• ISSN: 0271-1214; 1538-4845
• DOI: 10.1177/027112149901900101

Children growing up in low-income environments have lower-than-average levels of reading achievement and higher-than-average rates of special education placement. Research suggests that this discrepancy can be linked to differences in experiences during the early childhood years. A group of Head Start children's (n = 39) early literacy skills (letter-naming, phoneme blending, and onset recognition) and expressive and receptive vocabulary skills were assessed and correlated with measures of caregiver-child interactions observed in the home. Caregivers also were asked to report rates of early literacy activities. Results indicated that the children in Head Start demonstrated a range of early literacy and language abilities, and variation in these skills was related to some aspects of the children's home environments. In particular, degree of caregiver involvement, rate of language interactions, and participation in early literacy activities were related to early literacy and language skills. This exploratory research provides a basis for experimental research to determine the effects of manipulating these caregiver variables on early literacy development.