HOME LITERACY ENVIRONMENTS AND EARLY READING SKILL LEVELS OF GRADE 1 LEARNERS: FOUNDATION FOR AN ENHANCED HOME LITERACY PROGRAM

Home literacy environments play a crucial role in enhancing the early reading skills of learners, as they provide the foundation for literacy development. These environments influence critical reading competencies such as phonological awareness, phonemic awareness, letter knowledge, and sight word recognition. This study aimed to determine the home literacy environments and early reading skill levels of Grade 1 learners in Palauig District, Schools Division of Zambales, during the School Year 2024–2025. The study employed a quantitative-descriptive design, involving 129 home literacy facilitators and their corresponding Grade 1 learners. A universal sampling method was used across four public elementary schools, and data were collected using a validated researcher-made questionnaire. The home literacy facilitators were predominantly aged 20–29 years, female, married, had two children, belonged to families with a monthly income of P19,999 or below, were high school graduates, and spent less than an hour teaching literacy at home. Their environments were consistently rated as "always helpful" in terms of literacy motivation, materials, routines, and support. The Grade 1 learners exhibited advanced early reading skills in phonological awareness, phonemic awareness, letter knowledge, and sight word recognition. No significant differences were found between the facilitators' environments and their profiles. A positive moderate significant correlation was identified between the facilitators’ environments and the learners’ early reading skills. An enhanced home literacy program was developed to address these findings. The facilitators’ demographic profiles and supportive environments significantly contributed to the learners’ advanced early reading skills. The findings underscore the critical role of home literacy environments in improving the early reading skills of learners, informing strategies for home literacy program enhancement.