Effects of the home learning environment and preschool center experience upon literacy and numeracy development in early primary school

Authors

Edward Melhuish, University of WollongongFollow
Mai B. Phan, University of London
Kathy Sylva, University of Oxford
Pam Sammons, University of Nottingham
Iram Siraj-Blatchford, University of LondonFollow
Brenda Taggart, University of London

RIS ID

94057

Publication Details

Melhuish, E. C., Phan, M. B., Sylva, K., Sammons, P., Siraj-Blatchford, I. & Taggart, B. (2008). Effects of the home learning environment and preschool center experience upon literacy and numeracy development in early primary school. Journal of Social Issues, 64 (1), 95-114.

Abstract

This study investigates the influence of aspects of home and preschool environments upon literacy and numeracy achievement at school entry and at the end of the 3rd year of school. Individuals with unexpected performance pathways (by forming demographically adjusted groups: overachieving, average, and underachieving) were identified in order to explore the effects of the home learning environment and preschool variables on child development. Multilevel models applied to hierarchical data allow the groups that differ with regard to expected performance to be created at the child and preschool center levels. These multilevel analyses indicate powerful effects for the home learning environment and important effects of specific preschool centers at school entry. Although reduced, such effects remain several years later.