The thesis The Role of Parents in Their Child's Literacy Development in Preschool explores the importance of family literacy and the role of parents in fostering early literacy in children. The theoretical part introduces key concepts such as emergent literacy, reading literacy and family literacy, with a special emphasis on the role of the family in the development of literacy. Parents significantly influence the child’s literacy and language development through their example, attitude toward reading and everyday literacy-related activities. Preschools, libraries and various family literacy programs (e.g., preschool reading badges, book backpacks, Ciciuhec and storytelling sessions in libraries) also play an important role in encouraging literacy, as they help foster a positive attitude toward books and the written word.
The empirical part is based on a survey conducted among parents of whose children are enrolled in the Vrtec Dobrega pastirja kindergarten. The focus is on how often parents read to their children, which activities they carry out to encourage early literacy, how they understand the concept of family literacy and how their educational background and personal experiences influence their home reading practices. The findings clearly show that parents are aware of the importance of reading from early childhood, with differences based on educational attainment being negligible. Most parents regularly read to their children and discuss the content with them, indicating that parental engagement goes beyond the boundaries of formal education. The results provide insight into parents’ reading habits, their awareness of the importance of high-quality literature and confirm that the role of parents is crucial in supporting children’s literacy development.
Based on the findings of both the theoretical and empirical parts, practical guidelines have been developed for parents, which may serve as support in creating a literacy-rich home environment.
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