Family literacy programs without a center-based component yield medium effects on all outcome measures, while programs with a center-based component show no statistically significant effects¶

Claim · All claims
Evidence · 1 study · quant-synthesis r3 · q3 · i0 negligible
Currency · newest study 2021 · checked against its sources 2026-10-20 (automated, 1 of 1 entry) · not reviewed by a person

Subclaims¶

q3 i0 Family literacy programs without a parallel teacher-led center- or school-based component outperformed programs combined with one on overall, comprehension-related, and code-related outcomes (d = 0.55 vs. 0.11 overall; 0.59 vs. 0.10 comprehension; 0.54 vs. 0.08 code). → Suzanne Fikrat-Wevers 2021

Evidence¶

Suzanne Fikrat-Wevers 2021¶

Suzanne Fikrat-Wevers, Roel van Steensel, Lidia Arends. (2021). Effects of Family Literacy Programs on the Emergent Literacy Skills of Children From Low-SES Families: A Meta-Analysis. Review of Educational Research. https://doi.org/10.3102/0034654321998075

q3 · i0 · quant-synthesis · r3

Moderator analysis on immediate posttests (k overall = 48) coded whether a family literacy program was combined with a parallel center- or school-based program conducted by teachers. The 6 combined programs yielded d = 0.11 overall (0.10 comprehension, 0.08 code) versus d = 0.55 (0.59, 0.54) for the 42 programs without such a component, with significant moderator tests (Q(1) = 9.55** overall). The combined programs' effects were small and not significantly different from zero. The moderator coded only whether a parallel teacher-led program existed; the authors' discussion describes the other group as programs involving only parent-child activities at home, but parent training sessions were coded separately and could be held at home, at a center or school, or both.

"Programs without a center-based component yielded medium effects on all three outcome measures, while interventions that offered a center-based component did not demonstrate effects."

Discussion¶

Learner Variables¶

• Alphabet Knowledge and Print Awareness — outcome: instruction changes it

Related Claims¶

• Training in a single setting (home only or center/school only) yields larger comprehension-related effects than training in both contexts or no training — related
• Programs offering only shared reading yield the largest comprehension-related effects, and combining shared reading with other activity types reduces effects — related
• Programs offering only literacy-related activities yield larger effects than programs also targeting other cognitive or socioemotional skills — related
• Family literacy programs produce a medium average effect (d = 0.50) on low-SES children's emergent literacy at immediate posttest but only a marginal effect (d = 0.16) at follow-up — related
• Parent Involvement Improves Early Reading — related
• Experimental designs and study-specific measures are associated with larger program effects, while peer-reviewed status shows no indication of publication bias — related
• Family-implemented literacy interventions produce a positive, significant average effect on combined literacy outcomes in single-case experimental design studies (g = 1.50), specific to students with or at risk for reading difficulties — related