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Abstract
The aim of this study was to explore within-group patterns of variability in the home literacy environments (HLEs) of low-income Latino families using latent profile analysis. Participants were (N = 193) families of Latino preschoolers enrolled in a larger study. In the fall of 2012, mothers filled out a family literacy practices inventory, a literacy beliefs inventory, and a socio-demographic questionnaire. Results revealed three psychometrically distinct HLE profiles. Profile 1 (37%), labelled Low Beliefs, Low Practices (LBLP), was characterized by very low incomes, low caregiver education, reading infrequently to children, primarily speaking Spanish and reported lowest literacy beliefs and practices. Profile 2 (16%), labelled Moderate Beliefs, Moderate Practices (MBMP), was also low income, had few books in the home, read in both English and Spanish to their children, and held moderately facilitative literacy beliefs and practices. Profile 3 (47%), labelled High Beliefs, High Practices (HBHP), reported the highest literacy beliefs and practices, highest percentage English-speaking, read more often to children, and had more books in the home. These findings highlight considerable variability in terms of literacy beliefs and practices among Latino families. The profiles have practical relevance in terms of children's readiness at school entry and working with their families.
Notes on contributors
Heather S. Davis, Ph.D. is a graduate student in the Special Education program at Texas A&M University. Her research interests include oral language and literacy development of children at-risk of later reading disabilities. Specifically, her research interests focus on the home literacy environment (HLE) and working to identify key malleable factors to further educate both parents and teachers of children at-risk of later reading difficulties.
Dr. Jorge E. Gonzalez, Ph.D. is an Associate Professor in the School Psychology program, Department of Educational Psychology, College of Education and Human development at Texas A&M University. Funded by the U. S. Department of Education, his works focus on the causes and correlates of early language and literacy difficulties in young children with a focus on adult-child interactive reading in the context of dual language learners. His scholarship addresses inquiries relevant to children's home literacy environment (HLE), the effects of teacher talk around shared reading, longitudinal effects of evidence based shared reading interventions, and investigating the heterogeneous nature language and literacy subtypes of at-risk children.
Dr. Sharolyn Pollard-Durodola, Ph.D. is a Professor in the English Language Learning program in the Department of Educational and Clinical Studies, in the School of Education at the University of Nevada Las Vegas. Her scholarship attends to the prevention/intervention of language and literacy difficulties (Spanish/English) among students at risk of academic difficulties. Central to her scholarship is developing intervention curricula that build on validated instructional design principles, evaluating their impact on the language and reading development of struggling readers, and investigating how to improve the quality of language/literacy practices of teachers and parents of preschool ELLs.
Dr. Laura M. Sáenz, Ph.D. is an Associate Professor in the Special Education program, Department of Educational Psychology, College of Education at The University of Texas – Pan American. Funded by the U. S. Department of Education, her research has focused on the literacy interventions for elementary- and preschool-aged children identified as at-risk for reading failure. Her research focuses on peer-mediated and small-group interventions to be delivered in the general education environment with a special emphasis on Hispanic children identified as English learners and served in dual language environments.
Denise A. Soares, Ph.D. is an Assistant Chair for Teacher Education, Special Education Program Coordinator, and Assistant Professor of Special Education. She earned her doctorate in educational psychology with a concentration in special education from Texas A&M University, College Station. Her research focuses on applied and practical experiences in academic and behaviour interventions for at-risk students, as well as examining the efficacy of those interventions in classroom settings where teachers have competing time demands.
Nora Resendez, MA is a Senior Program Coordinator on the IES efficacy grant titled Words of Oral Reading and Language Development (WORLD). She holds a masters degree in special education from The University of Texas – Pan American. She has P-12 work experience as an early childhood special education and Director of Special Education.
Leina Zhu, Ph.D. is a graduate research assistant in the Research, Measurement, and Statistics program, Department of Educational Psychology, College of Education and Human development at Texas A&M University. Her primary research interests are multilevel data analysis and structural equation modelling, with specific foci on sampling weights and measurement invariance testing.
Shanna Hagan-Burke, Ph.D. is an Associate Professor of Special Education in the Department of Educational Psychology at Texas A&M University. Her areas of research include functional analyses of problem behaviour, early literacy, and positive behavioural supports. Her most recent work focuses on relations between academic performance deficits and problem behaviours, particularly among young learners.