Contextual analysis of home environment factors influencing the acquisition of early reading skills in Zambian families

Abstract

This study examined the effect of home environment factors in the acquisition of early reading skills (orthographic awareness and decoding competence). To assess these factors, a sample of seventy-two (72) first grade learners (females = 55%; age range = 7–8 years) and their maternal parents (age range 26–61 years old) from low SES in Zambia's capital city, Lusaka were recruited. Parents, in response to a home literacy questionnaire, reported on their attitudes towards reading, literacy teaching in the home, the home literacy environment, presence of reading materials for adults and children, parental education, occupation, family size and family possessions. Two measures of reading skill were administered at school. Correlations revealed that parental education, occupation and the size of the family were not significantly associated with the reading measures. Family possessions, parental reading attitudes, literacy activities, and reading materials significantly predicted orthographic awareness. In predicting decoding competence, only family possessions, parental reading attitudes and literacy activities were predictive. Regardless of the context, children experience literacy in varied forms and quantities.

Keywords:

• early reading skills
• home literacy environment
• literacy acquisition
• low income families
• Zambia

Acknowledgements

This research was supported under the auspices of the Reading Support for Zambian Children (RESUZ) project that was funded by a grant from Jyvaskyla University, an Academy of Finland Award. The authors thank the children, parents, teachers, and school personnel who made this study possible. They also thank Cindy Kalunga, Victor Motoka, Tamara Nundwe and John Kaleo for their help with data collection.

Notes

1 ciNyanja is the officially approved language of literacy instruction in Lusaka province