CHAPTER 4

PRESENTATION OF FINDINGS

Introduction

This chapter opens with a profile of the participants in the study. They are at the centre of this research and it is important to have an understanding of them as individuals. In all of the families, the mothers were the primary informants and only limited information was made available on their partners, unless they were willing to participate in interviews. Where data are compiled on a family, such as health conditions in Table 9, information for the partner is included where known. The chapter is then divided into one main section and then two smaller sections, in which I explore the emergent themes under the following categories: literacy experiences at home, pedagogical influences on literacy development, and children's enculturation into literacy practices.

Six sources of data collection with the eight families living in one low-income community¹⁶ give a fuller picture of the families to better address the many different aspects of the phenomenon of family literacy. In-depth interviews were conducted in the families' homes and therefore brought me face to face with the living conditions of impoverished families. The questionnaire, reflective journals, videotapes of parent-child interactions, school observations and my field notes all serve to substantiate data gathered from the interviews and highlight the familial influences on literacy achievement and how parents support their children at home. The richness of the transcription and coding schemes allow me to look for patterns and help me to deal with some ambiguity in messages and actions.

¹⁶ Community in this study refers to a geographical area containing government-subsidized housing which is located within the boundaries of one school.