The impact of access to books: Developing partnerships with Latino immigrant families through a preschool literacy program in an urban community

The present study describes the three-year findings from the implementation of a book loan program at an inner-city preschool that primarily served Latino immigrant families. The purpose of this longitudinal study was to investigate family literacy processes in the context of a preschool loan program, to examine the nature and impact of family participation in this type of program on involvement in literacy activities and parent-school relationships, and to gather information about the knowledge-base that these families draw on when participating in literacy activities. The overall objective was to bring the voices of parents into research. Three research questions were examined: (1) What are the home literacy practices of Latino immigrant families? (2) What impact does a culturally responsive preschool book loan program have on their involvement in literacy activities? (3) What impact does a culturally responsive preschool book loan program have on home-school connections?; The findings from offer evidence to counter stereotypes about Latino immigrant families' disinterest in their children's education and help discount the deficit perspective that homes of culturally and linguistically diverse families lack literacy-rich experiences. The results provide information about parents' understandings of literacy, ways they foster their children's reading and writing development, and the funds of knowledge they draw upon. For all of the families surveyed, becoming literate was viewed as important and instrumental in having a more successful future. Three types of family reading practices emerged: (1) for didactic/learning purposes; (2) for enjoyment purposes; (3) for the purpose of spending time together. This study narrows the gap in the research literature by addressing the role of parents in the design of a preschool literacy program and the impact of this program as assessed by the families, and expands the limited knowledge of the home literacy experiences of Latino immigrant families. It offers practical information and a theoretical model to provide opportunities and resources for low-income parents to access to help encourage and support their children's literacy learning.