Measurement invariance of the home literacy environment for preschoolers with and without speech and/or language impairment

This is the authors' abstract. We don't add key points for this paper.

Background The current study examined whether the home literacy environment (HLE) has the same meaning and predictive value for children with and without speech and/or language impairment. Methods Parents reported on their HLE for children with typical development ( n = 811) and those with speech and/or language impairment (S/LI, n = 235). All children were between 3 and 6 years of age. Children's letter–name knowledge, letter–sound knowledge and phonological awareness were assessed directly. Results A confirmatory factor analysis of a HLE questionnaire yielded three factors for both groups: print‐related activities, shared book reading and literacy games. There was evidence of strong factorial invariance between groups, suggesting that the HLE represents a similar construct for both groups of children. Print‐related activities were the strongest predictor of early literacy skills – particularly for children with speech and/or language impairment. Shared book reading only significantly predicted literacy skills for the children with typical development, although effects were relatively modest. For all children, reports of playing more literacy games were associated with lower early literacy scores for children. Conclusions Results highlight the ways in which families can create home environments that support children's early literacy skills.