What do families read to their children: another look at home literacy support
What do families read to their children: another look at home literacy support

Summary/Abstract: Literacy development for children continues to be questioned as preservice and new teachers wonder if families read to their children. Although this topic is not new in early childhood education, it deserves a new look to see if much has changed. Also, it is important to address the similarities and differences between children living in urban and suburban areas due to assumptions that preservice and new teachers have about families living in these areas. Does this make a difference? A study, developed and administered by preservice teachers, reported that families in both areas do read to their children, with families in suburban areas reading more often to their children than families in urban areas. Other findings included there are more books available for reading in suburban homes, yet families in both areas tend to select mass-marketed books for their children rather than books that develop literacy skills. Preservice teachers summarized the findings and created brochures to distribute to families in both areas.

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