Parenting practices focusing on literacy: a study of cultural capital of kindergarten and first-grade students from low-income families

The purpose of this study was to examine the relations between parents' home literacy practices and the literacy skills of young children at risk for reading difficulties. Participants included 198 kindergarten and first-grade students and their parents. Children were enrolled in two Title I schools in an urban setting. Parents completed the Stonybrook Family Reading Survey, and children completed the Peabody Picture Vocabulary Test, 4th edition, Expressive Vocabulary Test, 2nd edition, and Woodcock Reading Mastery Test. Results revealed that children with greater social capital in the form of more frequent home literacy activities demonstrated higher expressive and receptive vocabulary skills. These findings have implications for researchers, educators, and parents including the suggestion that school-based interventions should assess home literacy environment at the baseline to inform the design of instructional activities and to inform teachers on ways to enhance the home-school connection.