Exploring Family Experiences in Supporting Children's Literacy Development during the Coronavirus Pandemic

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COVID-19; Pandemics; School Closing; Distance Education; Literacy Education; Grade 2; Grade 3; Elementary School Students; Family Environment; Family Role; Parents as Teachers; Online Courses; Family Literacy; Resilience (Psychology)

979-83-8009-915-8

In March of 2020, the World Health Organization declared COVID-19 a pandemic, drastically changing teaching and learning. Children were immediately placed in emergency remote learning, and parents became facilitators of their children's learning while children were in their virtual learning space. This study explored families' experiences with literacy development for children in second to third grade during the Coronavirus pandemic to learn how changing school experiences influenced family functioning around in-school and out-of-school literacy engagement activities. The study addressed these research questions: How did families support their children's changing and evolving school experiences during the Coronavirus pandemic? (a) In what ways did parents scaffold their children's literacy engagement and learning in the home during online learning? (b) In what ways did families engage in activities and bridge literacy inside and outside of the school environment? (c) What practices supported family resilience as they engaged in literacy activities during the pandemic? Drawing upon the Family Resilience Model (Walsh, 1998) and the Ecological Systems Theory (Bronfenbrenner, 1977), a multiple-case study involving four families was conducted. A priori coding for inductive and deductive category development was used to analyze interviews, observations, and artifacts. Study findings revealed that families continued engaging in literacy practices according to family routines, perceived needs, and school requirements during the virtual learning context and in out-of-school engagements. Further, the findings show that some lines between in and out-of-school literacy practices were blurred due to the context of learning during the pandemic (virtual/remote learning). In contrast, in some areas, family out-of-school practices remained distinct from in-school practices. Study findings offer new knowledge of family engagement practices involving in-school and out-of-school literacy practices during the pandemic, which have important implications for teachers and parents. Out-of-school contexts play an important role in children's literacy development because, in these contexts, children engage in out-of-school practices that build transferable skills to their in-school contexts. Through technology, parents support and bridge their children's out-of-school engagements with in-school practices that enhance literacy development. These findings provide valuable insights into how educators can bridge in and out-of-school literacy, particularly regarding online learning. [The dissertation citations contained here are published with the permission of ProQuest LLC. Further reproduction is prohibited without permission. Copies of dissertations may be obtained by Telephone (800) 1-800-521-0600. Web page: http://www.proquest.com/en-US/products/dissertations/individuals.shtml.]

As Provided

2023

ED637568