Early Childhood Education Commons^™

Maternal Literacy Practices And Beliefs Impact Infant Development, Deirdre Cruz

Theses and Dissertations

Infancy is a pivotal time in the development of a human’s cognitive ability. There is a lack of research in this area, specifically on mothers and their beliefs about literacy practices and the home learning environment. By utilizing Bronfenbrenner’s ecological framework, this study explores the beliefs of mothers and how they impact the infants’ preliteracy skills and knowledge, which are paramount to success in kindergarten and beyond. Using a phenomenological study, the researcher interviewed mothers on their views of literacy, their infant’s home learning environment, and how they perceive their culture and mothering style impact their infants.