Relations of the home literacy environment (HLE) to the development of reading-related abilities: A one-year longitudinal study

The home literacy environment (HLE) is an important variable in the development of a number of developmental and educational outcomes; however, a number of questions concerning its conceptualization and relations to diverse outcomes are unanswered. This study examined the relations of six different conceptualizations of the HLE to oral language, phonological sensitivity, and early literacy development. in a longitudinal sample of 115 preschoolers. Multiple regression and correlational analyses indicated that each of the HLE conceptualizations was consistently related to the outcomes studied. However, the magnitude of the relations varied considerably across outcomes and when other developmental predictors were taken into account. These results indicate that future examinations of the HLE and its role in the development of language and literacy skills need to take into account the manner in which the home environment is conceptualized.