Family Early Literacy Practices Questionnaire: A Validation Study for a Spanish-Speaking Population

• Main Author: Lewis, Kandia
• Format: Dissertation
• Language: English
• Published: ProQuest LLC 2012
• Subjects: Construct Validity; Correlation; Demography; Early Childhood Education; English (Second Language); Factor Analysis; Family Involvement; Hispanic Americans; Mixed Methods Research; Psychometrics; Questionnaires; Reliability; Spanish Speaking; Translation
• ISBN: 9781267968845; 1267968842

The purpose of the current study was to evaluate the psychometric validity of a Spanish translated version of a family involvement questionnaire (the FELP) using a mixed-methods design. Thus, statistical analyses (i.e., factor analysis, reliability analysis, and item analysis) and qualitative analyses (i.e., focus group data) were assessed. Participants included 81 parent/guardians' of preschool and kindergarten aged children. One hundred percent of the participants were Hispanic and 97% of parents spoke primarily Spanish or both Spanish and English at home. Participants reported their countries of origin were Puerto Rico, Mexico, Countries in the Caribbean Sea, and South American Countries. The results showed that the Spanish translated version of the FELP was reliable and valid for parent/guardians' in the current study as demonstrated by the internal consistency coefficients and the item-total correlations. However, a four-factor model, in contrast to the original five-factor model, was found to be reliable, a good-fit for participants, and had strong construct validity. Quantitative and qualitative findings support the relevancy of FELP items for participants in this study. Rasch analysis revealed that parent's endorsed direct literacy activities (e.g., teach the child letter names) more strongly than indirect literacy activities (e.g., making sure the child sees the parent read). Additionally, analyses revealed that FELP items functioned statistically different across demographic subgroups (i.e., country of origin, income, and education level). Finally, focus group discussions revealed possible ways to more fully capture the richness and diversity of literacy practices in Spanish-speaking homes and highlighted the diverse experiences, practices, and beliefs of Hispanic and Spanish-speaking populations. The research and practical implications for early childhood education programing for ELLs are discussed. [The dissertation citations contained here are published with the permission of ProQuest LLC. Further reproduction is prohibited without permission. Copies of dissertations may be obtained by Telephone (800) 1-800-521-0600. Web page: http://www.proquest.com/en-US/products/dissertations/individuals.shtml.]