The Relationship between the Home Literacy Environment and the Frequency of Literacy Interactions Which Occur There.

A study examined the past home environment (prior to kindergarten entrance) of 26 students currently in grade 2. Subjects were selected from the population of second graders who participated in the district-wide First Grade Reading/Language Arts Assessment Test when they were in the first grade in an elementary school in central New Jersey. Parents of these middle- to upper-middle class students answered questions concerning the literacy environment at home and their involvement in their child's literacy development prior to his/her entrance into kindergarten. The 2 indices, made up of 50 Likert items, were compared statistically to determine whether or not a relationship exists between the home literacy environment and the frequency of occurrence of literacy interactions. Results indicated that a significant correlation exists between the two measures. Related research and a sample parent questionnaire are appended. Contains 26 references. (Author/CR)