The Effects of a Kindergarten Home Reading Program

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to investigate the effects of a kindergarten home reading program with parents reading books to their children. The program required parents to read stories to their children and to discuss the stories afterwards. Subjects included 46 kindergarten students and their parents. The families came from an upstate New York suburban school district. The students participated in a half-day kindergarten program. Students participated in a home reading program that started in January and continued through March. Children (with parents' assistance) were asked to read a minimum of 26 books during the program, one for each letter of the alphabet. Children illustrated their favorite part of the story in a teacher-made alphabet book. The study found 93% of the students participated in the program, with 63% percent actually completing all 26 letters. Parents' responses to the post survey questions showed that the program was successful at getting parents to have a discussion of a story after reading it to their child. Many parents enjoyed hearing their child's version of the story.