Effects of Family Literacy Programs on the Emergent Literacy Skills of Children From Low-SES Families: A Meta-Analysis

Abstract

The aim of this meta-analysis was to investigate effects of family literacy programs on the emergent literacy skills of children from low socioeconomic status families (0–6) and to establish which program, sample, study, and measurement characteristics moderate program effects. Outcomes of 48 (quasi-)experimental studies covering 42 different programs revealed a medium average effect of Cohen’s d = 0.50 on immediate posttests and a marginal average effect of Cohen’s d = 0.16 on follow-up measures. Together, effects of different moderator variables indicate that children benefit from targeted programs that focus on a limited set of activities and skills and that are restricted to one (training) context. Additionally, we found larger effects in experimental studies and when researcher-developed tests were used. Our outcomes not only provide guidelines for program developers but also call for more longitudinal research that examines how positive short-term changes as a consequence of program participation can be sustained over time.

“Somos fieles creyentes”: children’s construction of spiritual and literate identities at home

“…This study corresponds with the corpus of research showing that when school-readiness programs recognize family's ethnic identities and funds of knowledge, they have a greater impact on children's literacy development than programs focused on academic skills alone (Fikrat-Wevers et al, 2021;Van der Pluijm et al, 2019).…”

“…This case study illustrated that secular early literacy family programs can be inclusive and affirming of young children’s spiritual/religious identities. The corpus of early literacy research could expand to encompass more investigations about how school-readiness programs might further tap into the funds of knowledge cultural practices of preschoolers’ everyday lived experiences at home (Fikrat-Wevers et al , 2021). Mentioned earlier, few studies examine the way young children’s home-based cultural/spiritual practices undergird their multimodal literacy practices at school (Norton, 2006).…”

“…The corpus of early literacy scholarship undergirding the GCStorytime program, in which this inquiry about the Rosarios occurred, indicates that the most influential factor of children’s school-readiness and academic success is families’ support of children’s early literacy development (Brown et al , 2019; Lin et al , 2019). Familial support can be initiated and/or maintained within the context of community-based early literacy programs that expand upon familial funds of knowledge and resources (Fikrat-Wevers et al , 2021). For instance, family literacy programs that promote familial dialogue (Hirsh et al , 2019) and encourage adult-child conversations about everyday household events and activities, including mealtime and spiritual/religious routines (Leyva and Skorb, 2017; Reese et al , 2010), strengthen children’s oral language and vocabulary development (Van der Pluijm et al , 2019).…”

“…This is important because the size of children’s vocabularies is frequently cited as a predictor of children’s literacy development and school-readiness (Tamis-LeMonda et al , 2014). In turn, welcoming families to talk about their daily cultural practices and funds of knowledge and identity within the context of a family literacy program can positively impact children’s academic success (Fikrat-Wevers et al , 2021).…”

Fear not of cognition in context

“…Some across social sciences focus on different aspects of the environment, with various human outcomes. Consider educational studies that demonstrate the effects of classroom size, SES, and so on, on student grades or other outcomes (Blatchford, Bassett, & Brown, 2011; Fikrat‐Wevers, van Steensel, & Arends, 2021). These are perfectly legitimate and potentially useful variables to examine.…”