Home Literacy Environment and Reading Achievement: The Case of Persian and Arab Children

Abstract

Many people may think that school is the first place where children experience literacy. For many children, home is a place that provides the earliest learning environment for developing literacy (Hart & Risley, 1995) and providing exposure to print and letters (Loigan & Whitehurst, 1998). Reading achievement often serves as a predictor of future academic success. Thus, providing children with essential instruction and working to bridge the gap between achievement and potential is an essential factor. The present study aims at investigating the influence of home literacy environment on developing reading ability between Persian and Arab children to come up with the differences that exist between them. The population consisted of Persian and Arab parents and their kindergartens children in Ahvaz. They are selected based on convenience sampling. Two measures were used in the present study. A total of 56 parent participants completed home literacy environment questionnaire prepare by Martin (2006). Additionally, all children participants completed an assessment test that measures basic literacy skills in reading. Results showed that the home environment is a relatively good predictor of children’s reading skill. And Persian and Arab children showed different mastery in reading achievement test.