| Citation: | Melzi, G., Paratore, J. R., & Krol-Sinclair, B. (2000). Reading and writing in the daily lives of Latino mothers participating in an intergenerational literacy project. National Reading Conference Yearbook, 49, 178-193. |
Annotation:
The purpose of the study is to understand the purposes and types of literacy activities that are embedded within the daily lives of Latino mothers and their children. Although the level of maternal education played a role in some categories of literacy reports, the differences between low-education and high-education mothers were not overwhelming. While other studies have found little or no storybook reading in some homes, mothers in this study reported a high incidence of storybook reading with no difference between high-education and low-education mothers. The data showed a moderate correlation between maternal years of education and length of participation in the literacy project, but the length of participation did not significantly influence quantitative measures of literacy. The study was conducted as part of an intergenerational literacy project in an early childhood learning center in an urban, largely immigrant community. Parents attended the project two hours each day, four days per week, to improve their own English literacy and to learn ways to support their children's success in American schools. Instructional emphasis was on helping parents situate literacy experiences within their daily lives and teaching them how to help their children with homework. Data were collected in daily literacy logs completed by parents. A total of 5,427 logs were recorded and analyzed. This study shows how literacy activities are woven into daily life by Latino families.
The Connection Collection: ©SEDL 2024