The Home Literacy Environments of Turkish Kindergarteners: Does SES Make a Difference?

Abstract

This study investigated the possible differences in the home literacy environments (HLE) among Turkish kindergarteners from three different SES (socio-economic) strata. 341 parents of a total of 341 kindergarteners from 24 kindergarten classrooms in low, middle and high SES neighbourhoods across Ankara completed the Socio-Demographics Form and the Home Literacy Questionnaire (HLQ). Results of MANOVA and the Kruskal-Wallis test revealed significant differences among the three SES levels, with high SES scoring significantly higher than the middle and low SES and the middle SES scoring significantly higher than the low SES in all HLQ subscales. These findings imply that low and partly middle SES kindergarteners may be at a disadvantage for quality HLEs and so we educators have to look for ways to support these families. However results also point that all three groups fell within the "moderate HLE" range which shows that Turkish kindergarteners from all SES strata may need to be supported through systematic interventions.

Özel Gereksinimli Küçük Çocukların Ev Ortamlarının Niteliği

“…In the present study, it was identified that high correlations existed between HSQ-T scores and the independent variables, while significant but low negative correlations were noted between home quality and the AI-T scores of the children. The effects of the characteristics of the parents and children on family home quality have been studied for many years, and there is evidence that the mother's education level, income, and working status are strong predictors of SES (Ensminger & Fothergill, 2003) and important variables associated with not only the overall home environment (Biedinger, 2011;Goemans, Van Geel, Vedder, & Bradley, 2016;Pessanha & Bairrao, 2003;Richter, & Grieve, 1991) but also the home learning environment of typically developing children (Ergül et al, 2017;Niklas, Chorssen, & Tayler, 2016). It has been emphasized that families with low income and education levels are less likely to provide a stimulating environment and learning experiences for their children due to financial restrictions (Cooper, Crosnoe, Suizzo, & Pituch, 2010;Yeung, Linver, & Brooks-Gunn, 2002).…”

“…A strong relationship was found between the frequency of maternal participation in child activities and home quality. Previous literature frequently emphasizes that the home learning environment, when including parental involvement in the activities of children, is the context in which all children have the opportunity to acquire and practice various skills through meaningful interactions with people, materials, toys and events in the home (Biedinger, 2011;Ergül et al, 2017;Hayes et al, 2018;Iltus, 2006;Niklas & Schneider, 2017). Activities such as read-aloud, playing number games, board and card games, and art/craft activities are accepted as home learning activities when there is parental involvement, as such activities support the development of children by providing various opportunities for communication and interaction with their parents (Farrant & Zubrick, 2013;Melhuis et al, 2008;Senechal, Pagan, Lever, & Quelette, 2008).…”

“…The form consists of two sections: The first part includes questions on demographic factors such as age, gender and the level of the developmental functions of the child, and the mother's age, level of education, working status, and family income. The second part of the form comprises two groups of questions for the assessment of the home learning environment including parents involvement in the activities of children (Biedinger, 2011;Ergül, Sarıca, Akoğlu, & Karaman, 2017;Hayes, Berthelsen, Nicholson, & Walker, 2018;Iltus, 2006;Niklas & Schneider, 2013) and types of toys in the home (Iltus, 2006):…”

“…Formun birinci bölümünde anne ve çocukların demografik özelliklerine ilişkin sorular yer almaktadır. İkinci bölümde ise annelerin, çocuklarının etkinliklerine katılımlarının (çocukları ile oynama, onlara kitap okuma ve masal anlatmaları) sıklığına ilişkin üç soru (Biedinger, 2011;Ergül, Sarıca, Akoğlu, & Karaman, 2017;Hayes, Berthelsen, Nicholson, & Walker, 2018;Iltus, 2006;Niklas & Schneider, 2013) ile evde bulunan oyuncak türlerine (Iltus, 2006) ilişkin sorular bulunmaktadır. Annelerin katılımı dörtlü dereceleme ile değerlendirilmiş ve üç sorudan elde edilen puanlar toplanarak toplam katılım puanı hesaplanmıştır (annelerin toplam katılım puanları 0-12 arasında değişmektedir).…”

Analysis of Postgraduate Theses on Early Literacy: A Content Analysis

“…"Erken okuryazarlık programlarının etkileri ve bu programlar kullanılarak ev ortamında erken okuryazarlığın desteklenmesi" amaçlarıyla yapılan lisansüstü tez çalışmalarının da sayısal açıdan fazla olduğu bulunmuştur. Bu durum erken okuryazarlık kavramına ilişkin gerek yetişkinlerin bilgi, tutum ve beceri açısından kendilerini geliştirme çabası içerisinde olduklarını göstermek ve gerekse çocukların erken müdahale kapsamında yer verilen ev ortamlarında erken okuryazarlıkla tanışmalarını ve akademik açıdan daha donanımlı bir şekilde ilkokula başlamalarını sağlayarak gelecekteki akademik başarılarını desteklemek açılarından büyük önem taşımaktadır (Ergül, Dolunay Sarıca, Akoğlu & Karaman, 2017;Gül, 2007;Işıkoğlu Erdoğan, 2016;Kınık, Okyay & Aydoğan, 2016).…”