Modeling the relationships among home literacy environment, reading interest, self-regulation, and reading ability of children with intellectual disabilities in China

Abstract

Background

Understanding of reading skills of children with intellectual disabilities can help implement appropriate educational strategies. This study aimed to explore the relationship between home literacy environment and reading ability of children with intellectual disabilities and possible mediating roles of reading interest and self-regulation in this relationship.

Method

297 Chinese children with intellectual disabilities were surveyed for home literacy environment, reading interest, self-regulation and reading ability questionnaires. Data entry, correlation and structural equation modeling were performed using the Statistical Package for Social Science software package.

Results

Home literacy environment impacted reading ability of children with intellectual disabilities via mediation by reading interest and self-regulation.

Conclusions

These results revealed the influencing pathways of home literacy environment on reading ability of children with intellectual disabilities and ascertained the positive roles of reading interest and self-regulation in their reading development.

Keywords:

• Children with intellectual disabilities
• home literacy environment
• reading ability
• reading interest
• self-regulation

Acknowledgments

The authors would like to thank all participants of this study and the following organizations for their support: Xi’an Qizhi school in Shaanxi province, Shunde District Qizhi school of Foshan in Guangdong province, Chancheng District Qizhi school of Foshan in Guangdong province, Wenzhou special education school in Zhejiang province and Shahekou District Qizhi school of Dalian in Liaoning province.

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the authors.

Additional information

Funding

This work was supported by the National Social Science Fund of China [grant number 21&ZD293] (to T.W.); the Humanities and Social Sciences Fund of the Ministry of Education of China [grant number 20YJA890019] (to T.W.); and the Fundamental Research Funds for the Central Universities [grant number 2021TS040] (to Q.W.).