JCPSLP Vol 21 No 2 2019 DIGITAL Edition

Table 4. Descriptive statistics on parents’ home reading practices

Child age

Attendance at library/bookstore

Number of children’s books at home

Number of books read from booklist

Book type

Reading environment

< 3 months

Often

>30

6

Thin paged

^^Sideways

7–9 months*

*

*

*

*

*

10–12 months

PNTA^

10–30

1

Board

Eye-level facing parent

10–12 months

Sometimes

>30

3

Board

^^Sideways

10–12 months

Seldom

>30

2

Board

Eye-level facing parent

1–2 years

Seldom

>30

5

Board

Back to parent

2–3 years

Never

>30

8

Board

Back to parent

2–3 years

Seldom

>30

5

Newspapers/ magazines

Back to parent

2–3 years

Seldom

>30

8

Thin-paged

^^Sideways

2–3 years

Often

>30

2

Thin-paged

Back to parent

2–3 years

Often

>30

5

Board

Back to parent

2–3 years

Seldom

10–30

1

Thin-paged

Back to parent

* Indicates parent has not commenced ESR; ^PNTA: prefer not to answer; ^^Sideways: sitting on parent’s lap sideways.

Seating environment The seating environment implemented by parents while reading is illustrated in table 4. Two parents reported that they sat at eye-level, facing their children while reading. Half of the parents (6/12) indicated that their children sat on their lap with their back to the parent, facing the book. Discussion This preliminary investigation aimed to progress knowledge of parents’ perceptions towards ESR and home reading practices of parents with young children (birth to 3 years) with a HL. The present study expanded previous research by examining a wider range of components of ESR and further investigating parents’ perceptions towards ESR. Examination of these components of ESR was considered important as studies with TH children have indicated that the quality of ESR and parent–child interactions while reading are influenced by the home reading environment as well as parents’ perceptions towards ESR (Bus et al., 1995; Dickinson et al., 2012; Fletcher & Reese, 2005; Sénéchal et al., 1996). Parents’ perceptions towards early storybook reading (ESR) The results from the questionnaire suggested that parents with babies and young children with a HL valued ESR as 11 of the 12 participants indicated that they had commenced reading with their children. Moreover, half of the participants reported that they commenced ESR when their children were between 3 and 6 months old. These are positive findings, as studies examining ESR with TH children have provided evidence that parents who commence ESR with their children from a young age (4 months) continue reading as their children grow older (Karrass & Braungart-Rieker, 2005). Furthermore, there is also evidence with TH children that ESR from 3 months can strengthen language and social communication development (Brown, Westerveld, Trembath, & Gillon, 2018). While this evidence is with TH

children, it does offer a tentative platform for interpreting these findings until future research is conducted with children with a HL. Mixed outcomes were reported for enjoyment of ESR. Most parents reported that they enjoyed ESR with their children; however, fewer parents reported that their children appeared to enjoy reading with them. DesJardin et al. (2014) and DesJardin et al. (2017) have both reported similar findings when examining parents’ perceptions of their children’s enjoyment of ESR. When asked in the present study through an open-ended question what parents found difficult about ESR, the parents reported difficulties with maintaining their children’s attention and interest, children tearing the pages within the book, and time constraints. The findings from the present study, coupled with the research conducted by DesJardin et al. (2014) and DesJardin et al. (2017) suggest that parents with children with a HL may require further support with maintaining their children’s interest and attention during ESR as well as information on book selection to reduce occurrences of children tearing thin-paged books. Moreover, certain books are considered more effective than others for increasing children’s interest and maintaining their attention (Brookshire, Scharff, & Moses, 2002). Home reading practices Frequency of ESR in the present study was high, with ten parents indicating that they read with their children daily. This finding is consistent with DesJardin et al. (2017) who found that both parents with children with a HL and parents with TH children read with their children for ~5 minutes per day. It is encouraging that parents from the present study read frequently with their children as DesJardin et al. (2017) found that frequency of ESR was positively related to expressive language skills. The positive relationship between frequency of ESR and expressive language skills has also been reported with TH children (Farrant & Zubrick, 2013).

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JCPSLP Volume 21, Number 2 2019

Journal of Clinical Practice in Speech-Language Pathology