Beginning readers' reading performance and reading habits

This study investigated the prospective relationships between reading performance and reading habits among Finnish children during the first and second grades of primary school. One hundred and ninety-five children were examined twice during their first primary school year and once during the spring term of Grade 2. The results showed, first, that children's reading skills predicted their reading habits: the more competent in reading children were at the end of Grade 1, the more likely they were to engage in out-of-school reading one year later. Second, reading habits also predicted reading skills: the amount of out-of-school reading at the end of Grade 1 contributed to the development of w…

Vanhempien ja kodin merkitys oppimisessa

Tässä luvussa luodaan katsaus siihen, mitä tutkimustiedon valossa tiedetään vanhempien ja kodin merkityksestä kouluoppimiselle ja mihin kotiympäristön ja perhevuorovaikutuksen osa-alueisiin olisi syytä kiinnittää huomiota pyrittäessä tukemaan erityisesti niiden lasten oppimista, joilla on oppimisessaan vaikeuksia. Tässä luvussa käytetään käsitettä vanhemmat, jolla viitataan kaikkiin vanhemmuuden tehtäviä hoitaviin huoltajiin. Keskeisenä näkökulmana tuodaan esiin oppimiseen liittyvien prosessien yksilöllisyys ja kaksisuuntaisuus: vanhempien osallistumisen merkitys lapsen oppimiselle voi olla erilainen riippuen lapsesta, ja lapsen ominaisuudet vaikuttavat siihen, miten vanhemmat hänen kanssaa…

Development of reading skills among preschool and primary school pupils

This study investigated the trajectories of preschool and first-grade children's development of reading skills, as well as the cognitive and social antecedents of that development. One-hundred and ninety-six 5- to 6-year-old children were tested in October and April of their preschool year and again in the first grade. Data included measures of reading ability and its cognitive and social antecedents, which were analyzed using Simplex and Piecewise Growth Curve Modeling. The results showed that during the preschool year individual differences in reading grew larger and that this growth was faster among those who entered preschool with well-developed skills. However, during the first grade i…

Predictors of mothers' and fathers' teaching of reading and mathematics during kindergarten and Grade 1

Abstract The aim of the present longitudinal study was to investigate factors contributing to mothers' and fathers' teaching of reading and mathematics to their children during kindergarten and Grade 1. It was assumed that mothers' and fathers' teaching during kindergarten would be influenced by their socioeconomic status and their own learning difficulties, whereas during Grade 1 by their children's academic performance. A total of 189 mothers and 165 fathers filled in questionnaires regarding their teaching of reading and mathematics twice, once in kindergarten and once in Grade 1. Children's reading and mathematics performance was also examined twice, once in kindergarten and once in Gra…

Letter knowledge predicts Grade 4 reading fluency and reading comprehension

Abstract The present study examined the predictors of fourth graders' reading skills (reading comprehension, text reading and word chain reading). Reading skill antecedents of 158 children of 5–6 years of age were measured at the beginning of kindergarten; students' reading skills were measured in kindergarten and in Grades 1 and 4. The results showed that children's letter knowledge at the beginning of kindergarten was the most powerful predictor of their reading skills at the end of Grade 4. Other predictors were metacognitive awareness, gender, mother's level of education, and visual attention. Phonological awareness at kindergarten affected reading skills at Grade 4 through reading skil…

Development of literacy in kindergarten and primary school