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Faculty of Graduate Studies

Josellie Opao

Notice of the Final Oral Examination for the Degree of Master of Arts

Topic

Associations between Home Literacy Environment, Executive Function, and Emergent Literacy among Four-Year-Old Children from Low-Income Families

Department of Educational Psychology and Leadership Studies

Date & location

  • Tuesday, May 26, 2026

  • 1:00 P.M.

  • Virtual Defence

Reviewers

Supervisory Committee

  • Dr. Gina Harrison, Department of Educational Psychology and Leadership Studies, University of Victoria (Supervisor)

  • Dr. Tod Milford, Department of Curriculum and Instruction, UVic (Non-unit Member) 

External Examiner

  • Dr. Sarah Macoun, Department of Psychology, University of Victoria 

Chair of Oral Examination

  • Dr. Eric Higgs, School of Environmental Studies, UVic

     

Abstract

Emergent literacy skills are a set of knowledge, skills and behaviors that serve as precursors to conventional reading and writing. Despite a wealth of research investigating the influence of the home literacy environment (HLE) on the emerging literacy skills of preschool children, findings across studies remain inconsistent. More recently, researchers have been interested in the role of executive function (EF) in school readiness skills, including emergent literacy, as well as its potential mediating role between the HLE and early literacy skills. However, their associations remain insufficiently understood, particularly among low-income preschool populations. Therefore, the present study sought to examine the direct effects of the different types of HLE activities (reading books, telling stories, and learning activities) on children’s emergent literacy skills, as well as their indirect effects operating through EF among 4-year-olds from low-income families. The three HLE activities were examined separately to determine whether each would show a differential pattern of association with emergent literacy. Using secondary data from the Baby’s First Years study, the path analysis revealed a significant direct association between EF and emergent literacy. In contrast, no significant direct and indirect effects were found between any of the three HLE activities and emergent literacy via EF. These findings underscore the important role of early EF in supporting the acquisition of early literacy skills prior to school entry.

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