Inequality and the home learning environment: predictions about seven-year-olds’ language and literacy

Abstract

Using a UK representative sample from the Millennium Cohort Study, the present study examined the unique and cumulative contribution of children’s characteristics and attitudes to school, home learning environment and family’s socio-economic background to children’s language and literacy at the end of Key Stage 1 (age seven-years-old). Consistently with previous studies, the findings showed that family’s socio-economic background made a substantive contribution to teacher-rated language and literacy. Moreover, children’s characteristics and attitudes to school as well as certain aspects of the home learning environment explained a significant amount of variance in language and literacy. Homework support and book reading, however, were not found to associate with children’s language and literacy outcomes, despite a high percentage of parents being involved with home learning support routinely. These findings are likely to contribute to debates regarding the role of home learning in reducing underachievement, drawing important implications for family policy.

Acknowledgements

I would like to thank colleagues from the Centre for Longitudinal Studies, Institute of Education, University of London, and the UK Data Archive for their support and advice on working with the MCS. I am also grateful for the thorough feedback I received from the two anonymous reviewers.