How parental literacy activities with preschool children, as well as children’s attitude toward reading, contribute to children’s performance in reading and writing in the second and third grade of primary school

Brozičević, Maja. (2010). How parental literacy activities with preschool children, as well as children’s attitude toward reading, contribute to children’s performance in reading and writing in the second and third grade of primary school. Diploma Thesis. Filozofski fakultet u Zagrebu, Department of Psychology. [mentor Keresteš, Gordana].

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Abstract

The aim of this study is to examine how parental literacy activities with preschool children, as well as children’s attitude toward reading, contribute to children’s performance in reading and writing in the second and third grade of primary school. The research was conducted among 587 primary school children. Parental literacy activities are numerous shared activities between parents and children that involve reading or writing. Following reading activities were included in this research: reading of children’s books, storytelling, visiting the library, watching educational television shows for children, singing children’s songs, reciting and writing. Parental Questionnaire was used to assess the frequency of that kind of behaviour toward their preschool-aged children. The Questionnaire also provided data on mother’s educational level, and the number of family members. Children Questionnaire provided us with data on children’s gender, and their attitude toward reading. Following three kinds of tests were used as well: Reading Comprehension Test, Word Chains Test and Spelling Test (Dictation). The results showed that the older children had a better score on all tests. The girls scored higher than boys only on Reading Comprehension Test. The girls, also, had more positive attitude toward reading, while the age difference was not significant. Parental literacy activities did not differ according to child’s age and gender. Hierarchical regression analysis revealed contribution of all studied variables. However, their contribution differs in second, as well as in third grade. Proximal measures, such as parental literacy activities involving preschool-aged children, and children’s attitude toward reading contributed more to children’s performance on the tests in second grade, while in third grade, distal, socio-demographic variables (such as child’s gender, mother’s educational level and the number of family members) proved to be more contributing. Mother’s educational level showed to be an important contributing factor in both grades.

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