Date of Award

6-29-2022

Document Type

Dissertation

Degree Name

Doctor of Philosophy (PhD)

Department

Education

First Advisor

William Kerns

Abstract

This qualitative study was conducted to explore emergent literacy and phonological awareness abilities of primary students who experienced an interruption of classroom literacy instruction due to a catastrophic event. Participants included four primary students and their parents. The students participated in home-shared reading regularly and missed the last nine weeks of classroom instruction during their pre-kindergarten or kindergarten school year due to a catastrophic event. The participants were observed during home-shared reading. Three research questions were used to explain the study: 1) When children are read to at home and miss the last nine weeks of school, what phonological behaviors do they demonstrate as they segment sounds in spoken words? 2) When children are read to at home and miss the last nine weeks of their preschool or kindergarten year, what phonological behaviors do they demonstrate as they blend sounds to form spoken words? 3) When children are read to at home and miss the last nine weeks of their preschool or kindergarten year, what phonological behaviors do they demonstrate as they isolate individual sounds to form new words? Qualitative data analysis revealed three overarching themes. First, there were common literacy activities among primary students who participated in home-shared reading. Second, family literacy practices of primary students continued despite the early dismissal of school. Finally, children who were read to at home demonstrated phonological awareness.

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