In this metasynthesis, we examined 21 highly cited qualitative studies on family literacy scholarship conducted by Black, Indigenous, and People of Color (BIPOC) scholars from 1981 to 2019. This metasynthesis integrates findings to present a counterstory that challenges dominant narratives in family literacy. By amplifying often overlooked or…

In this meta-ethnography, the authors analyze the metaphors that inhabit highly cited examples of family literacy scholarship. Meta-ethnography is a methodology, as described by Noblit and Hare, in which metaphors are analyzed as linguistic tools; in this article, they are used to compare and synthesize understandings across existing ethnographic…

The purpose of the present study was to explore the dimensionality of the English home language and literacy environment (HLLE) construct in multilingual home settings for fourth- and fifth-grade emergent bilinguals. The authors also evaluated a framework of mediating mechanisms underlying the effects of emergent bilinguals' English HLLE on…

This article is a response to claims made by proponents of "science of reading" and "structured literacy" reading instruction approaches, in regard to their effectiveness with emergent bilingual students. The author argues that the strong knowledge base generated from studies examining the dynamic literacy practices of emergent…

Research on the home literacy environment has typically involved parents as teachers with little attention given to siblings' roles in teaching each other. This study examines naturalistic language and literacy teaching by 39 sibling dyads, at two timepoints, when children were ages 2 and 4 (time 1; T1) and again at ages 4 and 6 (time 2; T2). Each…

Associations between home literacy environment and children's reading ability are often assumed to reflect a direct influence. However, heritability could account for the association between parent and child literacy-related measures. We used data from 101 mother/father/child triads to consider the extent to which associations between home…

The authors examined whether different measures of print exposure assess the same underlying concept and how these different measures relate to vocabulary breadth and depth. One hundred forty-seven students attending the third year of kindergarten in Jining, China, were assessed on nonverbal IQ, vocabulary breadth and depth, and their knowledge of…

The dual purposes of this review are, first, to synthesize the extant research on biliteracy, focusing particularly on children and youths and, second, to clarify key terms and phenomena in this developing field. The review is organized into three areas of research: (1) individual biliteracy development, (2) biliteracy in family and community…

This ethnographic study examined literacy brokering among Sudanese refugee families in Michigan. Literacy brokering occurs as individuals seek informal help with unfamiliar texts and literacy practices. Data collection involved participant observation, semi-structured interviews, and collection of artifacts over 18 months. Researcher analysis of…

Reports on ethnographic research that explores the range of ways in which Spanish-English bilingual immigrant youth interpret English language texts for their families. Focuses on interpretations of written text for close family members, done at home, and charts the domains of these multiple literacies. Argues that bilingual youth's experiences as…

Two case studies of adult GED (General Education Diploma) students and their kindergarten-aged children are presented. The construct of "capital," as described by Pierre Bourdieu (1986), is applied specifically to the children's and adults' reading practices. These case studies are analyzed in terms of various forms of official…

Draws on a study of the literate lives of two African Americans living in urban poverty. Suggests that the nonalignment between home and school discourse communities is not the only, or even perhaps primary, problem for the subjects. Suggests that explanations must account for the complexity of literate subjectivities through the process by which…

Studies 89 multiethnic families with four-year-old children in the Netherlands to measure home literacy over a period of years. Tests and assesses children after formal reading instruction. Supports the hypothesis that home literacy is multifaceted. (PA)

Investigates effectiveness of the Project Early Access to Success in Education, which includes parent education sessions on assisting their children's developing literacy abilities, at-school parent/child activities, and at-home book-mediated activities. Finds improvement in language skills, with a strong impact on the children who scored low at…