A Look at Chinese Parents’ Literacy Practices and Their Preschool Children’s Literacy Experiences

Abstract

Home environments have been found to have a critical impact on young children’s early literacy development. To date, few studies have examined the home environments of families from Asian backgrounds and their relationship to literacy practices. The purpose of the present study was to examine the relationship between the literacy practices of Chinese parents living in the United States and their young children’s literacy experiences. The results revealed a positive relationship between Chinese children’s home environment and their literacy experiences. The implications for working with Chinese\xa0children and their parents to enhance early childhood literacy skills are\xa0discussed. In short, home environments rich in literature and language may help to prepare Chinese-speaking preschool Dual Language Learners to succeed in school.