The home literacy environment of children in kindergarten through first grade as a predictor of third grade reading abilities

Several researchers have found positive correlations between supportive home literacy environments and children's future success (Baker et al., 1996; Britto, 2001; Burgess et al., 2002; Tomopoulos et al., 2006; van Steensel, 2006), however few have examined the home literacy environments of children in early elementary school on their later elementary reading skills. The current study examined the home literacy environment of kindergarten through first grade students as a predictor of their third grade reading abilities. This longitudinal study used national data collected from the Early Childhood Longitudinal Study, Kindergarten Class of 1998-1999 (ECLS-K) as part of the Early Childhood Longitudinal Program (NCES, 2001). Three dimensions of the home literacy environment (shared reading experiences, literacy resources, and cognitive stimulation of the home) were examined using parent interviews of children in kindergarten and first grade and then compared to Reading Item Response Theory (IRT) scale scores from the ECLS-K Third Grade Direct Cognitive Assessment.