Thesis:

Influence of home literacy context on literacy skills development among pre-primary school children in Kaloleni sub - county, Kilifi county; Kenya

Globally, scholars have highlighted that home literacy context influence literacy skills development among learners and their home literacy context is key and important with this regard. In Kaloleni Sub-County Kenya however, pre-primary school children generally have poor literacy skills prompting the need for the present study to try and find out home literacy contexts and how the influence pre-primary school learners literacy skills development. The reason for this study was to assess the effect of home literacy context on literacy skills development among pre-primary school children in Kaloleni Sub-County, Kilifi County, Kenya. To achieve this, the following objectives were addressed; to investigate the influence of environmental print on literacy skills development among pre-primary school children, to ascertain the influence of child home literacy habits on literacy skills development among pre- primary school children, to examine the influence of home literacy resources on literacy skills growth among pre-primary school children and to determine the influence of parental home literacy habits on literacy skills development among pre-primary school children in Kaloleni Sub-County, Kilifi County, Kenya. Parents, schools, teachers and pre-primary school learners were expected to benefit from the study outcomes. A review of literature guided by the objectives attests to the influence of the independent variables on the dependent variable. The bio-ecological approach and emergent literacy model guided the study. A quasi-experimental study design was used and the target populace were be pre-primary school children in Kaloleni Sub-County, Kilifi County. A sample of 90 respondents (10 teachers, 40 grade 1-2 pupils and their parents=40) were used and sampled through simple random sampling and purposive sampling. Set ELSD test and questionnaire were used to collect data from pupils, parents and teachers. Validity of these tools was ascertained through expert and peer reviews while Cronbach’s Alpha coefficient was used to test their reliability. Gathered quantitative data was analyzed descriptively (frequencies and percentages) and inferentially (linear regression) and presented in tables and figures. All logistical and ethical issues pertaining to research were observed.