Family participation in literacy activities provides valuable developmental experiences for young children. In addition to developing an interest in reading, children who are read to, told stories, and visit the library may start school better prepared to learn. Engaging young children in literacy activities at home also enables parents and other family members to become active participants in their children's education at an early age.
- In 1996, more than 80 percent of children ages 3-5 were read to three or more times or told a story in the past week by a parent or family member, while 38 percent had visited a library in the past month. The percentage of children who were read to or told a story increased between 1991 and 1996.
- Children ages 3-5 who were not enrolled in pre-primary education were just as likely to have been told a story by a parent or family member in the past week as their peers who were enrolled in kindergarten in 1996. However, children ages 3-5 who were not enrolled in preprimary education were less likely to have been read to three or more times in the past week or to have visited a library in the past month than children who were enrolled in kindergarten.
- White children ages 3-5 were more likely to have been read to three or more times in the past week than their black or Hispanic counterparts in 1996. Additionally, white children were more likely to have visited a library in the past month than their black and Hispanic peers.
- In 1996, children ages 3-5 whose parents' highest education level was a bachelor's degree or higher were more likely to have been read to at least three times in the past week or to have visited a library in the past month than children whose parents' highest education level was a high school diploma or GED.
*Center-based programs include Head Start, nursery school, and prekindergarten.
NOTE: This analysis includes children ages 3-5 who were not enrolled in first grade. Included in the total but not shown separately are children from other racial-ethnic groups.
SOURCE: U.S. Department of Education, National Center for Education Statistics, National Household Education Survey (NHES) , 1991 (Early Childhood Education File), 1995 (Early Childhood Program Participation File), and 1996 (Parent and Family Involvement in Education File).
*Center-based programs include Head Start, nursery school, and prekindergarten.
NOTE:This analysis includes children ages 3-5 who were not enrolled in first grade.
SOURCE: U.S. Department of Education,National Center for Education Statistics, National Household Education Survey (NHES), 1991 (Early Childhood Education File) and 1996 (Parent and Family Involvement in Education File).
| Data sources:The following components of
the National Household Education Survey (NHES):
Early Childhood Education (1991), Early Childhood Program Participation
(1995), and Parent and Family Involvement in Education (1996).
For technical
information, see Wirt, J., Snyder, T., Sable, J., Choy,
S.P., Bae, Y., Stennett, J., Gruner, A., and Perie, M. (1998).
The Condition of
Education 1998 (NCES 98-013).
For complete supplemental
and standard error tables, see either
- the electronic
version of The Condition of Education 1998 (http://nces.ed.gov/programs/coe/),
or
- volume 2 of the
printed version (forthcoming): The Condition of Education
1998 Supplemental and Standard Error Tables (NCES 1999-025).
Author affiliations:
J. Wirt and T. Snyder are affiliated with NCES; J. Sable,
Y. Bae, and J. Stennett, with Pinkerton Computer Consultants, Inc.;
S.P. Choy, with MPR Associates, Inc.; and M. Perie and A. Gruner,
with the American Institutes for Research.
For questions
about content, contact John Wirt (john.wirt@ed.gov).
To obtain this
Indicator of the Month (NCES 1999-003), call the toll-free
ED Pubs number (877-433-7827), visit the NCES Web Site (http://nces.ed.gov),
or contact GPO (202-512-1800).
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