Relations between Home Literacy Environment, Child Characteristics, and Print Knowledge for Preschool Children with Language Impairment

To contribute to the modest body of work examining the home literacy environment (HLE) and emergent literacy outcomes for children with disabilities, this study addressed two aims: (a) to determine the unique contributions of the HLE on print knowledge of preschool children with language impairment (LI); and (b) to identify whether specific child characteristics (oral language ability, print interest) moderated these relations. The sample consisted of 119 preschool children with LI. HLE was conceptualized as frequency of storybook reading and literacy teaching during book reading. Frequency of storybook reading was a unique predictor of print knowledge, which is consistent with research on children with typical language. Literacy teaching did not predict print knowledge, which diverges from research on children with typical language. No interactions between the HLE and child characteristics were significant, but language ability and print interest play a role in understanding individual differences in literacy development

Relations between Home Literacy Environment, Child Characteristics, and Print Knowledge for Preschool Children with Language Impairment

To contribute to the modest body of work examining the home literacy environment (HLE) and emergent literacy outcomes for children with disabilities, this study addressed two aims: (a) to determine the unique contributions of the HLE on print knowledge of preschool children with language impairment (LI); and (b) to identify whether specific child characteristics (oral language ability, print interest) moderated these relations. The sample consisted of 119 preschool children with LI. HLE was conceptualized as frequency of storybook reading and literacy teaching during book reading. Frequency of storybook reading was a unique predictor of print knowledge, which is consistent with research on children with typical language. Literacy teaching did not predict print knowledge, which diverges from research on children with typical language. No interactions between the HLE and child characteristics were significant, but language ability and print interest play a role in understanding individual differences in literacy development

If an Expert in Day Care Can\u27t Find a Good One, Can Anyone?

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How Do Caregivers Select Preschools? A Study of Children With and Without Disabilities

Background - Little is known about how parents and other caregivers conceptualize preschool quality, or what factors they prioritize when selecting a preschool. Caregivers of children with disabilities have the additional challenge of finding a preschool that can address their children’s special needs. Objective - We explored the factors caregivers valued when selecting a preschool for their children, how these factors categorized into structural, process, and familial quality, and how caregiver characteristics related to preschool selection factors. We also compared caregivers’ preschool selection factors with the observed quality of their children’s preschool classroom. Methods - In this study, 407 caregivers with children in 54 early childhood special education classrooms completed surveys regarding how they selected their children’s preschool. Classroom quality was assessed for each classroom, and compared to caregivers’ preschool selection factors. Results - Findings showed that caregivers prioritized interpersonal teacher characteristics and safety when selecting preschools. Caregivers’ felt that process elements of quality were more important than structural or familial elements of quality. Caregivers whose child had a disability were more likely to prioritize structural elements of quality than caregivers whose child did not have a disability. No relationship was found between caregivers’ preschool selection factors and the quality of the classrooms in which their children were enrolled. Conclusion - These findings provide insight for those wishing to make preschool programs more amenable to the needs of caregivers, particularly those of children with disabilities. Understanding caregivers’ preschool selection factors also deepens the theoretical understanding of preschool quality