Reading at Home and at School in the Primary Grades: Cultural and Social Influences

Hispanic children are twice as likely as European American children to read below average for grade level. Some of this difference may be related to the home literacy practices children experience. To study this, the school reading achievement of 75 European American and 53 Hispanic second graders was examined in relation to their home reading practices. Results indicate that reading at home, specifically how often children read, with whom they read, and their active initiation of reading, are related to school reading achievement in both groups. These relations were more pronounced for European American boys and Hispanic girls, and fewer relations were found for Hispanic children whose mothers spoke solely Spanish. Results are discussed in relation to home-based opportunities in these two communities for children in the primary grades to develop reading skills.