Literacy practices in the homes of Latino immigrant families and their relationship to language acquisition

The purpose of this study was to examine the literacy practices of Latino immigrant families and their children and what that support resembled in their homes. In addition, the purpose also centered on the role of language in literacy practices and the association between family relationships and literacy practices. By conducting this study, it was the researcher's hope that the literacy practices of Latino immigrant families with their children contributed to the sufficient preparation of instructional planning for classroom teachers in helping ELL/ESL students improve their English language acquisition. Furthermore, the study will contribute validity to the importance of identifying and acknowledging the individuality each child brings to the classroom.;This study was guided by the following research questions: 1. What are the key literacy practices of Latino immigrant families in their homes with their children? 2. What are the Latino immigrant families' perceptions of the connections of these practices to their cultures? 3. How do Latino immigrant families' view the connection between their home literacy practices and the acquisition of English?;The results of this study indicated that there were literacy practices that occurred in the homes of Latino immigrant families. The methods for collecting the data included interviews, photo elicitation, and the use of my research journal. Three themes emerged from the overall data collection. The three themes that emerged were the studying of the Bible was the primary literacy source in the homes, homework practices were the secondary literacy source in the families' homes, and family time activities were also literacy practices in the families' homes. Family time activities were considered a minor theme, while studying the Bible and homework practices were major themes represented from the data. It was determined from the collected data that families engaged in key literacy practices in their homes and that also, the families perceived connections to their culture and to the enrichment of their children's acquisition of English.