The development of literacy self-concept in preschool children within the home literacy environment

Literacy self-concept is associated with various educational outcomes, particularly literacy skills. A positive literacy self-concept enhances literacy skills and increased skills positively influence self-concept. At preschool age, a stimulating home literacy environment may additionally contribute to a stronger relation between literacy self-concept and early literacy skills, i.e., an accurate literacy self-concept, as it offers children opportunities to apply and observe their skills. To test this idea, the current study examined the correlations between literacy self-concept and early literacy skills and the role of the home literacy environment in this relationship with moderated regressions. Data from 500 preschool children and their families over two years with four timepoints (t1-t4) were analyzed. Early literacy skills at t1 were negatively correlated with subsequent measures of literacy self-concept, but early literacy skills at t4 correlated positively with literacy self-concept. The home literacy environment was significantly associated with early literacy skills, but not with literacy self-concept. The home literacy environment was a significant moderator in the relation between early literacy skills and literacy self-concept at t2, t3, and t4. Here, stronger correlations between early literacy skills and literacy self-concept were found for children with a higher-quality home literacy environment than those with a lower-quality Home Literacy Environment. The findings offer important insights into how a stimulating home literacy environment may help children develop a positive and accurate self-concept.