Home Practices and Beyond: Looking at Media, Numeracy, Literacy, and Authentic Practices in Diverse Populations

Session Type: Paper Symposium

Abstract

Understanding the mechanisms by which home practices benefit children is conducive to building a nurturing and supportive home environment. Across our four presentations, we highlight studies focusing on various aspects of home practices (e.g., media, numeracy, literacy, and authentic practices) across a diverse age span, ethnicities, and countries. Presentation#1 shed light on media use at home and children’s language and literacy gains. Findings suggest that using >=4hrs of media use is related to lower literacy gains; although this finding is sensitive to model specification. Further, findings suggest that moderate amounts of media use may not be detrimental to children’s language gains. Presentation#2 measures parent’s math anxiety and home numeracy environment (HNE) and finds that parent’s math anxiety moderates HNE and children’s math skills so that at lower levels of parent’s math anxiety there is a positive association between HNE and preschoolers’ math skills; at higher levels of parent’s math anxiety this association was reversed.

The last two presentations focus on Latino children. Presentation#3 uses a large sample of preschool-age children from various countries in Latin America and conducts psychometric analysis on a researcher-developed home literacy survey that was developed specifically for Latino families. Results suggest 6 dimensions of HLE that are consistent and expand our understanding of research conducted with Latin American families. Last, Presentation#4 expands our understanding of “traditional” (e.g., book-reading) and “authentic” (e.g., food routines) practices in a sample of Latino families living in the U.S. This study identified positive associations between “authentic” practices and children’s academic outcomes.

Sub Unit

• Education, Schooling

Chair

• Gloria Yeomans-Maldonado, Children’s Learning Institute at the University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston

Individual Presentations

• Does Media Use Predict Children’s Language and Literacy Gains? Media Use in the Home Environment - Presenting Author: Rebecca Dore, Ohio State University; Non-Presenting Author: Jessica Logan, Ohio State University; Non-Presenting Author: Tzu-Jung Lin, Ohio State University; Non-Presenting Author: Kelly M Purtell, Ohio State University; Non-Presenting Author: Laura M. Justice, Ohio State University

• The Home Numeracy Environment and Children’s Math Skills: The Moderating Role of Parents’ Math Anxiety - Presenting Author: Jimena Cosso, Pennsylvania State University, University Park; Non-Presenting Author: Jennifer Kristine Finders, Purdue University, West Lafayette; Non-Presenting Author: Robert Duncan, Purdue University, West Lafayette; Non-Presenting Author: Sara Anne Schmitt, University of Oregon; Non-Presenting Author: David James Purpura, Purdue University, West Lafayette

• Home Literacy Environments in Latin America - Presenting Author: Ruby Batz, University of Nevada Reno

• The Role of Traditional and Authentic Home Environment Practices in Building Latino Children’s Academic Skills - Presenting Author: Gloria Yeomans-Maldonado, Children’s Learning Institute at the University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston; Non-Presenting Author: Diana Leyva, University of Pittsburgh; Non-Presenting Author: Christina J Weiland, University of Michigan; Non-Presenting Author: Anna Shapiro, University of Virginia