1. Objectifs

Intentions :
« The present study aims to analyse the family literacy environment that parents who are low litterate provide for their children. » (p. 69)

Questions/Hypothèses :
« The present research attempts to provide answers to the following questions:
1. What is the reading and writing achievement of children whose parents are low-literate?
2. What are the problems encountered by children of low-literate parents with regard to learning at home and in school?
3. Are low-literate parents of children who are academically successful in reading and writing different from low-litterate parents of less academically performing children with regard to the following factors: a) their level of education; b) their involvement in their children’s education, at school and at home; and c) the quality of the literacy environment in their home?
4. What is the effect of parents’ level of education, parents’ involvement in their children’s education at home and in school, and family litteracy environment on the academic achievement of children whose parents are low literate? » (p. 79)

2. Méthode

Échantillon/Matériau :
« This sample study was composed of 48 parents who participated in a literacy program. » (p. 80)

Instruments :
- Test de rendement pour Francophones (TRF, The Psychological Corporation, 1995);
- Questionnaire sur l’implication des parents dans l’éducation des enfants;
- The Homework Problems Checklist (Anesko et al., 1987);
- The Stony Brook Family Reading Survey (Whitehurst, 1993);
- The Schoolwork Problem Checklist (Anesko et al., 1987);
- Questionnaire sur l’’implication des parents dans l’éducation des enfants.

Type de traitement des données :
Analyse statistique

3. Résumé

« Parent’s low level of education is considered as a risk factor for students who experience academic failure (Snow et al. 1998). According to the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD), an adult having less than a fifth grade equivalence is considered as being illiterate, while the one having less than a grade nine equivalence is considered as being functionally illiterate (Thomas, 1998). In this study, all parents had, at the very most, an eight grade equivalence. Hence, all their children were exposed to a condition putting them at risk of academic failure. Some children were, in fact, experiencing serious academic problems, but many were average students while others were among the highest achievers of their class. However, present results indicate that parents of high achievers were more likely to have a level of education equivalence to grade 7 or 8. Therefore, having a literacy level lower than a seventh grade equivalence seems to impede parents seriously in their effort to support their children’s academic success. » (p. 97)

Cet article est extrait d’une thèse de doctorat, intitulée : « La littératie dans les familles où les parents sont faiblement scolarisés », pour laquelle une fiche a été rédigée dans Famili@.