Promoting Self-Regulated Reading and Writing at Home and School

We examined discrepancies between 2 Canadian first graders' home and school literacy contexts regarding their potential to promote self-regulated approaches to reading and writing. Also, we examined the extent to which these differences were reflected in the children's attitudes toward and engagement in reading and writing at school. Sources of data included observations in the form of running records, parent questionnaires and semistructured interviews, teacher judgments of student achievement and motivation, and student interviews. Data indicated some discontinuity between home and school literacy contexts, especially for the low-achieving reader and writer. We judged the classroom context to be rich in opportunities for young children to develop attitudes and actions associated with self-regulated learning (SRL), and although many of the messages and methods used to promote literacy in the children's homes complemented the classroom environment, some contradicted it. Similarly, although both children evidenced some attitudes and actions that were not well aligned with those believed to support SRL, independent, academically effective forms of learning were reflected in both students' approaches to reading and writing tasks at school.