The role of parents in fostering children’s emergent literacy skills in selected rural households of Mongu district, Zambia
Date
2020
Authors
Malumo, Inonge
Journal Title
Journal ISSN
Volume Title
Publisher
The University of 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
Description
Thesis
Keywords
Language acquisition--Study and teaching--Zambia , Language awareness in children , Literacy--Study and teaching--Zambia