Learning to read is a complex process in which children have to apply their existing knowledge and experiences in addition to using reading skills such as reading comprehension and decoding abilities. Parents and guardians shape children’s first experiences with literacy. Children’s interactions with others at home create contexts for learning and children’s literacy embedded in everyday life activities. Nineteen kindergarten students and their parents participated in this action research study. Parents were given an open-ended pre and post survey questions about their child and family activities so the researcher could get to know them better. The surveys were a conversation starter and a way to discuss with parents ways to improve their family literacy skills at home. The researcher conducted a year-long classroom inquiry including regular classroom assessments as well as district assessments to examine alphabet knowledge skills. Students were assessed at the beginning of the school year in September to see their base-line abilities in early literacy skills. At the end of the school year, parents’ literacy awareness had increased, and students’ early literacy skills had also increased. The researcher understood more clearly, how to continue to help parents understand the importance of early literacy skills with the continuing efforts of home literacy activities, one-on-one conversations, and literacy tips to parents.
","abstract_html":"<p>Learning to read is a complex process in which children have to apply their existing knowledge and experiences in addition to using reading skills such as reading comprehension and decoding abilities. Parents and guardians shape children’s first experiences with literacy. Children’s interactions with others at home create contexts for learning and children’s literacy embedded in everyday life activities. Nineteen kindergarten students and their parents participated in this action research study. Parents were given an open-ended pre and post survey questions about their child and family activities so the researcher could get to know them better. The surveys were a conversation starter and a way to discuss with parents ways to improve their family literacy skills at home. The researcher conducted a year-long classroom inquiry including regular classroom assessments as well as district assessments to examine alphabet knowledge skills. Students were assessed at the beginning of the school year in September to see their base-line abilities in early literacy skills. At the end of the school year, parents’ literacy awareness had increased, and students’ early literacy skills had also increased. The researcher understood more clearly, how to continue to help parents understand the importance of early literacy skills with the continuing efforts of home literacy activities, one-on-one conversations, and literacy tips to parents.</p>","abstract_has_math":false,"creators":["Sippola, Trish"],"institution":null,"degree_name":"Master of Arts in Education","degree_level":"Thesis","degree_discipline":"Education, Leadership and Public Service","degree_department":null,"school":null,"contributors":["Christi Edge"],"advisors":[],"committee_chairs":[],"committee_members":[],"year":2015,"date_issued":"2015-08-01T07:00:00Z","date_published":"2015-08-01T07:00:00Z","updated_at":"2026-07-24T03:23:34Z","subjects":["Education","Educational Assessment, Evaluation, and Research"],"languages":[],"rights":[],"rights_urls":[],"identifier_entries":[]},"links":{"outbound_url":"https://commons.nmu.edu/theses/61","outbound_label":"Repository record","outbound_source":"dc:identifier"},"metadata_groups":[{"id":"people","label":"People","entries":[{"key":"dc:contributor","label":"Contributor","values":["Christi Edge"]},{"key":"dc:creator","label":"Author","values":["Sippola, Trish"]}]},{"id":"academic_context","label":"Academic Context","entries":[{"key":"dc:date.available","label":"Dc Date Available","values":["2015-07-08T07:00:00Z"]},{"key":"thesis:degree_discipline","label":"Discipline","values":["Education, Leadership and Public Service"]},{"key":"thesis:degree_level","label":"Degree Level","values":["Thesis"]},{"key":"thesis:degree_name","label":"Degree Name","values":["Master of Arts in Education"]}]},{"id":"subjects_keywords","label":"Subjects and Keywords","entries":[{"key":"dc:subject","label":"Dc Subject","values":["Education","Educational Assessment, Evaluation, and Research"]}]},{"id":"identifiers","label":"Identifiers","entries":[{"key":"dc:identifier","label":"Identifier","values":["https://commons.nmu.edu/theses/61"]}]},{"id":"additional","label":"Additional Metadata","entries":[{"key":"dc:description.abstract","label":"Abstract","values":["Learning to read is a complex process in which children have to apply their existing knowledge and experiences in addition to using reading skills such as reading comprehension and decoding abilities. Parents and guardians shape children’s first experiences with literacy. Children’s interactions with others at home create contexts for learning and children’s literacy embedded in everyday life activities. Nineteen kindergarten students and their parents participated in this action research study. Parents were given an open-ended pre and post survey questions about their child and family activities so the researcher could get to know them better. The surveys were a conversation starter and a way to discuss with parents ways to improve their family literacy skills at home. The researcher conducted a year-long classroom inquiry including regular classroom assessments as well as district assessments to examine alphabet knowledge skills. Students were assessed at the beginning of the school year in September to see their base-line abilities in early literacy skills. At the end of the school year, parents’ literacy awareness had increased, and students’ early literacy skills had also increased. The researcher understood more clearly, how to continue to help parents understand the importance of early literacy skills with the continuing efforts of home literacy activities, one-on-one conversations, and literacy tips to parents.
"]},{"key":"dc:title","label":"Title","values":["IMPACTS OF PROMOTING FAMILY LITERACY KNOWLEDGE: A KINDERGARTEN TEACHER’S UNDERSTANDING OF HOW TO CONTINUE PROMOTING FAMILY LITERACY"]}]}],"canonical_facts":{"dc:contributor":["Christi Edge"],"dc:creator":["Sippola, Trish"],"dc:date.available":["2015-07-08T07:00:00Z"],"dc:description.abstract":["Learning to read is a complex process in which children have to apply their existing knowledge and experiences in addition to using reading skills such as reading comprehension and decoding abilities. Parents and guardians shape children’s first experiences with literacy. Children’s interactions with others at home create contexts for learning and children’s literacy embedded in everyday life activities. Nineteen kindergarten students and their parents participated in this action research study. Parents were given an open-ended pre and post survey questions about their child and family activities so the researcher could get to know them better. The surveys were a conversation starter and a way to discuss with parents ways to improve their family literacy skills at home. The researcher conducted a year-long classroom inquiry including regular classroom assessments as well as district assessments to examine alphabet knowledge skills. Students were assessed at the beginning of the school year in September to see their base-line abilities in early literacy skills. At the end of the school year, parents’ literacy awareness had increased, and students’ early literacy skills had also increased. The researcher understood more clearly, how to continue to help parents understand the importance of early literacy skills with the continuing efforts of home literacy activities, one-on-one conversations, and literacy tips to parents.
"],"dc:identifier":["https://commons.nmu.edu/theses/61"],"dc:subject":["Education","Educational Assessment, Evaluation, and Research"],"dc:title":["IMPACTS OF PROMOTING FAMILY LITERACY KNOWLEDGE: A KINDERGARTEN TEACHER’S UNDERSTANDING OF HOW TO CONTINUE PROMOTING FAMILY LITERACY"],"thesis:degree_discipline":["Education, Leadership and Public Service"],"thesis:degree_level":["Thesis"],"thesis:degree_name":["Master of Arts in Education"]},"updated_at":"2026-07-24T03:23:34Z"}