Understanding home literacy environments: parents' perceptions and practices in government primary schools of Dhaka, Bangladesh

Abstract

Interconnectivity between effects of parents on children in home literacy environment (HLE) is still an under explored area in Bangladesh. The aim of this study is to find relationship between parents and children from government primary schools in order to understand and support home literacy. The study took place in Dhaka, the capital of Bangladesh. Analyzing interviews and observation data from eight families, I looked for parents’ involvement with everyday literacy practices and hurdles they face in the process. Home provides a significant factor for parents to learn. Moreover, mental support plays more pivotal role than books or planned activities to support literacy. It underscores the point that literacy support is interconnected and embedded in caregiving routine, notably by mothers, who also manage household activities. Parents practice their own strategies and techniques. However, they deal with problems of limited resources. By resources, they indicate difficulties with learning, digital distractions, and blame scarcity of school guidance. This study shows importance of home literacy as a contextually grounded practice rooted in environment and emphasizes the need for schools to provide help that fits with the family’s daily lives in government primary schools.