Hispanic Parents’ Beliefs and Practices During Shared Reading in English and Spanish

Research Findings: Shared book reading is important for children's early literacy development. Although there is an increasing number of dual language learners, few studies have examined families' shared book reading practices in their two languages. The current study examined Hispanic parents' beliefs and practices during shared reading in English and Spanish, and explored how their reading practices differ as a function of language and parental education level. Overall, Hispanic parents reported they read more frequently and had more books in English than in Spanish. Parents' feelings about shared reading and their interactive strategies during shared reading differed by education level, parents' preferred language, and book language. English-dominant parents engaged in more interactive reading strategies and reported more positive feelings when they read in English, while Spanish-dominant parents engaged in more reading strategies and reported more positive feelings when they read in Spanish. Practice & Policy: These findings highlight the importance of examining the language of reading interactions and parents' preferred language to understand the complex nature of reading interactions in Hispanic families. These findings can be helpful for researchers, educators, and intervention providers to offer families the appropriate support they need to engage in shared book reading.