Exploring Shared Book Reading Perspectives and Practices in Migratory and Unhoused Families: A Strengths-Based Analysis

Familial beliefs and abilities play a crucial role in shaping the dynamics of shared book reading between caregivers and their young children. The variations in caregiver shared book reading behaviors significantly impact what and how much a child learns from those experiences. Thus, understanding caregiver beliefs through a strength-based lens is essential to inform the development of resources, recommendations, and interventions that prioritize familial perspectives. This approach is crucial for promoting children’s development, especially in vulnerable communities like migratory families and families experiencing homelessness. Therefore, this qualitative study adopted a strengths-based approach to explore the shared book reading perspectives, practices, and strengths in migratory and unhoused families. Through interviews with 13 caregivers (6 migratory caregivers and 7 unhoused caregivers), a phenomenological analysis revealed key themes of Shared Book Reading as Protection, Shared Book Reading as a Bridge, Reading to Teach, Making Reading Interesting, and Following the Child’s Lead. The paper concludes with a discussion of how the themes can serve as a foundation for the development of future shared book reading resources and interventions in collaboration with migratory and unhoused families, promoting inclusivity and effectiveness by aligning resource development with their unique perspectives and strengths.