New directions in the conceptualization and operationalization of the home learning environment.

Abstract

The Home Learning Environment (HLE) focuses on everyday learning habits in families to support the development of children's early cognitive competencies. A growing number of studies have assessed the HLE by using different conceptual approaches and various assessment methods, often focusing on either the home literacy environment or the home numeracy environment. However, it is still unclear whether the 2 dimensions of the HLE are separable constructs and which assessment method is best suited for assessing the HLE, making it difficult to interpret and compare different study results. In the current study, we used multitrait-multimethod (MTMM) analyses to compare 3 common methods for assessing the HLE and their relations to various outcomes of kindergarten children. Our sample consisted of 2 independent cohorts of children (N 1 = 190, N 2 = 310) with an average age of 61 months (SD = 4.6). In both cohorts, the MTMM matrix showed a substantial effect of common methods and indicated a 1-dimensional HLE construct indicated most strongly by the children's book title recognition test (TRT-VS). Even when controlling for child and family characteristics (i.e., intelligence and socioeconomic status), the HLE was statistically significantly related to both the mathematical competencies and the linguistic competencies of the child in a structural equation model. This pattern of results was found consistently across both cohorts. We discuss the significance of a 1-dimensional HLE construct and its different assessment methods in the light of implications for future research and interventional approaches. Educational Impact and Implications StatementThe purpose of this study was to investigate the theoretical concept of the Home Learning Environment (HLE) and its different operationalizations. The authors found that both, the home literacy environment (HlitE) and the home numeracy environment (HnumE), are cohesive parts of a global HLE. A literacy exposure list, asking parents which book titles their child knows, was most indicative of children's HLE. This study further shows that the HLE is associated with children's mathematical and linguistic competencies in kindergarten-even when child and family characteristics are controlled for. Consequently, as the HLE is of great significance for children's development, knowledge about the conceptualization and suitable assessment methods of the HLE are crucial to investigate these associations as precisely as possible.

Am I a good person? Academic correlates of explicit and implicit self‐esteem during early childhood

“…First, it is widely believed by parents that their role in supporting their children's formal education in reading is more important than supporting their children's formal math training (Szczygieł, 2020; Wirth et al., 2023). Specifically, parents consider teaching reading to be at least partly their responsibility to do at home (often in bedtime rituals) and training in formal mathematics to be primarily the responsibility of teachers in schools (Cannon & Ginsburg, 2008).…”

Home Learning Environment and Screen Time Differentially Mediate the Relationship Between Socioeconomic Status and Preschoolers’ Learning and Behavioural Profiles

“…Similarly, there is evidence of a relationship between home numeracy and numerical development [24,[37][38][39][40][41][42]. The home literacy and the home numeracy environment are cohesive parts of a global HLE [43], which was also found to predict higher secondary school tracks recommended by teachers at the end of primary school [44]. Most of the literature on home literacy and numeracy was obtained using parents' self-report questionnaires, which showed reliable results [34,38], suggesting that parents' reports can be considered suitable tools in this research field [45].…”

App-based learning for kindergarten children at home (Learning4Kids): Study protocol for cohort 2 and the school assessments

“…There are different ways to assess the HLE and the debate about the most suitable assessment method is still ongoing (e.g., [62,63]). To assess the HLE as comprehensive as possible in a large-scale longitudinal study, Learning4Kids uses several operationalizations such as parent surveys on the home literacy environment and the home numeracy environment (see above), observations of parent-child interactions during shared reading and playing a dice game, and children's book title and mathematical game title checklists (for more detail, please refer to [8]). For the second cohort, two additional observation items were included that assess also the response behaviour of the child in addition to the quality of the parent-child interaction in general [64].…”

“…Given that this study includes comprehensive longitudinal assessments, numerous analyses are conceivable. Consequently, in addition to the testing for potential short-and long-term intervention effects on children's literacy and mathematical competencies (see [26]), other research questions, for instance, concerning the home learning environment can be conducted (e.g., [8,57]). Here, structural equation modelling can be used to analyse the complex longitudinal associations between the study variables and children's development in the family context.…”

“…As both, early and later mathematical and literacy competencies are important for children's educational attainment, assessment tools need to be identified that measure these competencies reliably. Further, variables that are associated with these competencies such as children's intelligence, families' socioeconomic status (SES) and migration background and the quality of the home learning environment (HLE), should also be considered (e.g., [1,8]). However, migration background and SES seem to impact on students' academic achievements rather indirectly and various mechanisms are discussed that may explain this indirect association such as differences in living conditions, stress factors, parenting, and the HLE [9].…”