INFLUENCE OF HOME LITERACY ON ECE LEARNERS’ PHONOLOGICAL SKILLS AS MODERATED BY SOCIO-DEMOGRAPHIC PROFILE

Elementary Education

This quantitative descriptive–correlational study examined the influence of home literacy environment on the phonological skills of Early Childhood Education (ECE) learners as moderated by socio-demographic profile in selected public elementary schools in Compostela, Davao de Oro. The respondents consisted of Grade 1 learners and their parents or guardians from three public elementary schools, selected through total enumeration. Data were collected using a Home Literacy Environment Questionnaire, which assessed physical environment, parent literacy habits, child literacy habits, parent–child interaction for language and literacy activities, and parental beliefs, and a Phonological Skills Test measuring phonemic awareness, rhyme awareness, syllable awareness, onset and rime awareness, and phonetic awareness. Descriptive statistics, Pearson correlation, and one-way analysis of variance were employed for data analysis. Results revealed that the overall level of home literacy environment was rated high, with parent–child interaction and parental beliefs emerging as the strongest dimensions. ECE learners demonstrated a mastery level of phonological skills, with syllable awareness showing the highest proficiency. Findings further indicated no significant relationship between home literacy environment and phonological skills, and no significant differences were found when grouped according to educational attainment and socio-economic status. The study suggests that while home literacy practices are generally supportive, phonological skill development among ECE learners may be influenced by factors beyond socio-demographic characteristics. The findings highlight the importance of sustained school–home collaboration and targeted literacy initiatives to strengthen early reading readiness among young learners.

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