Informal home numeracy and literacy activities predict children’s early school performance

What is it about?

This study of 7,110 Irish families examined whether children’s formal and informal home literacy and home numeracy environments at 3 years old would predict children’s literacy, numeracy, and socioemotional competencies at 5 and 9 years old. Findings indicate that only the informal home literacy environment (such as reading for pleasure), and informal home numeracy environment (such as playing board games), were positively related with children’s literacy and numeracy, but not with socioemotional skills, at 5 and 9 years old.

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Photo by Maria Lin Kim on Unsplash

Photo by Maria Lin Kim on Unsplash

Why is it important?

Results suggest that even home learning activities that are associated with fun and do not actively focus on teaching can positively influence children's skills across literacy and numeracy domains of development. Findings bear implications for cost-effective interventions with far-reaching, and enduring, effects across multiple child outcomes.