title: The influence of newborn early literacy intervention programs in three canadian provinces.
abstract: Low levels of literacy in early childhood can have lasting effects on children's educational and intellectual development. Many countries have implemented newborn literacy programs designed to teach parents pre-literacy promoting activities to share with their children. We conducted 2 quasi-experimental studies using 1) a pre-test/post-test design and 2) a non-equivalent control group design to examine the effect of newborn literacy programs on parents' self-reported literacy intentions/behaviors, values toward literacy, and parent-child interactions. Parents were recruited from 3 provinces, 2 with newborn literacy programs (intervention) and 1 without (control). Parents in the intervention group completed prenatal and postnatal (after participation in program) questionnaires. Parents in the control group completed 1 questionnaire. Questionnaires were designed to capture parents' literacy intentions (prenatal), behaviors (postnatal), values, and parent-child interactions (postnatal). A total of 98 parents were included in study one and 174 were included in study two. Parents' self-reported prenatal intentions and values were higher than their postnatal behaviors and values. Parents in the intervention group exhibited higher literacy behaviors and values and greater enjoyment reading to their children than parents in the control group, though they also reported reading to their children less frequently. Parents in the intervention group had significantly higher Positive Interactive scores than controls. Overall, we found participation in newborn literacy programs positively impacted parenting behaviors and attitudes. Lower postnatal within-group scores (intentions and values versus behaviors and values) may have been the result of participants' high expectations. Given our findings, we recommend that these programs continue.
authors.affiliation: a Faculty of Nursing , University of Calgary , Calgary , Alberta .
authors.forename: Nicole
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Letourneau
authors.affiliation: b Faculty of Education , University of New Brunswick , Fredericton , New Brunswick .
authors.forename: Pam
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Whitty
authors.affiliation: c Faculty of Nursing , University of New Brunswick , Fredericton , New Brunswick , and.
authors.forename: Barry
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Watson
authors.affiliation: c Faculty of Nursing , University of New Brunswick , Fredericton , New Brunswick , and.
authors.forename: Jennifer
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Phillips
authors.affiliation: a Faculty of Nursing , University of Calgary , Calgary , Alberta .
authors.forename: Justin
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Joschko
authors.affiliation: d Department of Human Nutrition , St Francis Xavier University , Halifax , Nova Scotia, Canada.
authors.forename: Doris
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Gillis
mesh_terms: D000223:Adaptation, Psychological; D002170:Canada; D002657:Child Development; D018479:Early Intervention, Educational / Q000379:methods*; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D009034:Mother-Child Relations; D010287:Parent-Child Relations; D016487:Parenting / Q000523:psychology*; D010290:Parents / Q000193:education*; D011932:Reading
keywords: Early child education; literacy; newborn literacy; parent-child interactions