The Relation between Parental Reading Promotion and Grade 1 Decoding Efficiency

Abstract

The decline in reading performance among Dutch students in recent years is a cause for concern, as reading is essential for acquiring knowledge and participating in society. This study aimed to examine the extent to which reading activities by parents predict the early reading development of Grade 1 students, word decoding, and the mediating role of reading motivation. A mediation analysis is performed to see whether reading activities predict early reading development and if this effect is partly mediated by reading motivation (N = 59). The results of the analysis showed no significant effects regarding the hypotheses, but motivation significantly predicted word decoding scores. The findings suggest that not all reading activities at home contribute to better word reading and higher reading motivation in grade 1, so parents and educators should work together in order to find the most effective way to stimulate children’s reading motivation and reading skills.