Reading--Parent participation

Struggling readers need guided and motivating instruction on a daily basis in order to improve their literacy skills in a significant way. One approach for providing this type of instruction is through the use of an at-home literacy program. In this study, parents were given training and feedback in the use of simple, inexpensive, yet motivating reading techniques which they used at home with their children. A comprehensive literature review on the Neurological Impress Method (NIM), oral reading fluency, and the connection between parent involvement and student achievement and/or literacy development was conducted. Based on information obtained from the literature review, the study examined the effect of the NIM, used in an at-home program on the oral reading fluency, and word recognition in struggling readers. The study followed an experimental design in which a treatment group and a control group simultaneously completed a ten week at-home program. At the end of the program, two parents in each group were interviewed, and a NIM questionnaire was given to parents in the treatment group. The study showed no significant difference in the gain in oral reading fluency, and increase in word recognition for struggling readers whose parents used the NIM compared to the struggling readers whose parents used the read aloud technique. Based on parent responses obtained from the interviews and the NIM questionnaire, the study also showed that parents demonstrated an attitude of interest and support for the at-home literacy program. The findings of this study can serve as a reference point for educators interested in creating at-home literacy programs, as well as a topic for further research. It appears that the at-home literacy program seemed to create opportunities for parent/child bonding. Since the at-home program offered parents an opportunity to spend one-to-one quality time with their children, it seems likely that the at-home program would have a positive effect on the parent/child relationship. Because this form of parent involvement could motivate children's interest in learning, and perhaps lead to increased literacy development and academic achievement, further research in this area should be conducted.

Most typically developing children experience a wide variety of literary experiences before they ever learn to read. Young children with intellectual impairments may not be as fortunate due to multiple developmental delays and therapeutic needs. Research has supported joint book reading as an effective intervention technique for children with language impairments and other risks for developmental delays. Two research questions were explored in this preliminary investigation. First, to what extent does a specific joint book reading training program, emphasizing a print focus, increase verbal and nonverbal print referencing behaviors in parents during joint book reading? Secondly, to what extent does the same joint book reading program, emphasizing a print focus, affect the print awareness skills in children with Down syndrome? Five mothers and their preschoolers with Down syndrome participated in this study. Two of the mother/child pairs were randomly assigned as controls. The mothers were taught to engage in joint book reading using verbal and nonverbal print references. The effects of this joint book reading technique on the development of print awareness skills in the children were then measured. Results indicated that all three mothers who received training increased their verbal and nonverbal print referencing behaviors. In addition, all three children whose mothers received training made some gains in print awareness skills, in particular in print knowledge. Two of the three children also made gains in alphabet knowledge and sound awareness. The results of this study support the benefit of literacy stimulation (luring joint book reading for young children with Down syndrome.