Home Literacy Environment and English Language Learners’ Literacy Development: What Can We Learn from the Literature?

Abstract

Intended for educators and researchers in the field of early childhoodeducation working with children from immigrant families, this articlefirst briefly addresses the relationship between home literacy environment and English language learners’ literacy development in both their heritage language and English. Second, through surveying the literature, I identify three different areas in which a home literacy environment influences English language learners’ literacy development: (a) through language attitudes and parental beliefs; (b) through identity formation; and (c) through literacy behaviour of immigrant parents. Some helpful strategies learned from the literature are provided for educators to use with newcomer families in support of children’s literacy development.

Home Literacy Environment to Support the Teaching English to Young Learner (TEYL)

“…In terms of the research question, all aspects of the home literacy environment were found, and each aspect described also gave detail of how the home literacy environment supports the TEYL. Each aspect of the home literacy environment was taken and adapted from the previous studies conducted by Shi (2013) and Park (2008). Both of them were parental belief and attitude towards literacy, literacy activities at home (between parent and students), and the availability of literacy sources.…”

“…A study in the USA had highlighted the importance of HLE that stimulated the development of children's cognitive and language skills (Bradley, 1985;Farkas & Beron, 2004). Moreover, Shi (2013) stated that HLE supported English language literacy (ELL) and literacy acquisition on both heritage language maintenance and second language acquisition.…”