Influence of siblings on out‐of‐school reading practices

Abstract

This study draws on interviews with 26 individuals who attained an advanced degree and whose parents did not attend university and who reported having at least one older sibling. Participants were asked about independent reading practices in their youth and the reading practices of their older siblings. Participants reported many memories of their own independent reading development and ways in which their older sibling (s) mediated or influenced their out-of-school reading practices. From an analysis of these interviews and related research literature, this study draws on Gee's theory of Discourses to suggest that family interactions around reading may have not only improved participants' reading abilities but also allowed participants to form dispositions or identities that included habits of recreational reading. Authors suggest ways educators and parents might encourage shared family and sibling out-of-school literacy practices as well as new directions for literacy research.What is already known about this topic • Independent or recreational reading habits can affect academic longevity.• Census data reports that 77.9% of U.S. children have at least one sibling.• Research on the influence of siblings on literacy development, and especially on at-home reading, is scarce. • Extant studies on literacy development and sibling relationships suggest that siblings can greatly affect the literacy development of one another. • Reading is often misunderstood as a solitary practice, rather than a practice that often includes social interactions around reading materials and the mobilisation of identities (Discourses), which may affect the motivation for individuals to read. What this paper adds• Interview participants, all of whom were first-generation university graduates with at least one older sibling, were asked about independent reading practices in their youth and the reading practices of their older siblings. • Interview participants reported that they formed strong habits of at-home reading in their youth. • 96% of interview participants reported that their older siblings played a role in their literacy development.

Reading and company: embodiment and social space in silent reading practices

“…The field of literacy traditionally explores reading in familial and educational settings, which are also inherently social (Compton‐Lilly, ; Knoester and Plikuhn, ; Kucirkova et al, ). However, these literacy practices have largely been studied separately from their embodied and material contingencies.…”

Literacy events and practices that position Hmong women to meet academic success in community colleges

“…As Nachia continued her schooling, her sister Mai Vang continued to be a source of help both as an ad-hoc teacher and a sounding board. Similar to prior studies, Nachia's siblings played a big role in helping her acculturate to the educational system (Jarrett, et al, 2015;Kibler et al, 2016;Knoester & Plikuhn, 2016).…”

“…A study of a master's student in the United Kingdom showed how the participant used both his academic literacy practices and his business literacy practices to help write his dissertation (Kaufhold, 2017 Interview data from 40 college graduates with advanced degrees indicated that older siblings often served as reading role models and teachers (Knoester & Plikuhn, 2016). All first generation students, participants described older siblings with strong reading habits being an influence and creating a stronger culture of reading within the family.…”

“…Older siblings shared reading materials, modeled independent reading, talked about books, recommended books, read aloud, and acted as teachers to their younger siblings, encouraging these siblings, now participants, to create their own independent reading habits. Knoester and Plikuhn (2016) concluded that strong recreational literacy practices created a "bridge" between home and academic literacies.…”

“…Two components of culturally relevant pedagogy instructors can immediately address are maintaining students' cultural competence and ensuring students experience academic success (Ladson-Billings, 1995 Specifically, Knoester and Plikuhn (2016) suggested instructors should offer a wider range of reading materials so students find materials suited to their interests and prior knowledge. A wider range of materials may invite more students into the curriculum through interests or stories reflective of their own.…”