The role of parents in fostering children’s emergent literacy skills in selected rural households of Mongu district, Zambia

Abstract

Parents have a role to play in the learning of their children. Just like teachers, they have a potent force in shaping their children’s literacy, even though only a few live up to this expectation and this contributes to learners’ poor performance in literacy. In light of the above, this study was inspired by the 2017 District Resource Centre Reading Levels Assessment Analysis (DRCRLAA), which highlighted that there were many early grade learners in the rural communities of Mongu district whose reading abilities were low. Following the notion that literacy in children begins at a very early age in life long before official lessons in school, the study was conducted to establish the role parents in selected rural households of Mongu district play in fostering their children’s emergent literacy skills prior to school entry. The study sought to establish parents’ understanding of emergent literacy; early literacy practices that parents exposed children to prior to school entry; and to identify types of literacy environments children were exposed to in their homes and surrounding areas which support early literacy development. The study was guided by socio-constructivist theory by Vygostsky which posits that learning is constructed in the matrix between social interaction and interconnectivity between an individual and the social environment. It utilised a qualitative approach to collect data from a study sample of 35 which comprised three community leaders, 16 parents and their 16 non-school-going children. Purposive and snowball sampling were used to reach the pinpointed individuals with specific data that was required. Data was obtained by using interview guides, focus group discussion guides and an observation checklist, and analysed qualitatively according to themes emerging from the research objectives. Participants’ verbatim responses have been included to show authenticity of the words. The study revealed that although most parents had limited understanding of emergent literacy, they did play a role in supporting the concept in that children were exposed to a number of early literacy structures such as writing, reading, games, stories, riddles, songs, letter sounds, reading/writing materials, household and environmental print which were helping in fostering their emergent literacy skills, an important foundation for learning to read and write once such children are in school. To help parents develop a sound knowledge of emergent literacy, the study recommends that teachers, during PTA meetings, should educate parents on the importance of taking keen interest in their children’s early literacy activities which in turn, would help children develop interest in literacy-building activities, long before official lessons in school so that those without pre-school experience benefit from their home environments. Key words: Parents, foster, children, emergent literacy skills