Parents’ utilisation of the literacy-based text message program Kindytxt

Text messaging programs have emerged as effective tools for enhancing parental engagement in children’s home-based literacy development, as substantiated by a growing body of research. This paper presents findings from a doctoral study that examined parental experiences and perceptions of a literacy-based text messaging program, with particular emphasis on how such initiatives inform and shape literacy practices in families with kindergarten-aged children. Rooted in the frameworks of social constructivism and interpretivism, the research privileges participants’ unique perspectives to explore the varied meanings parents construct around their use of the Kindytxt program. The study was theoretically informed by Vygotsky’s sociocultural theory, which underscores the influence of familial and cultural contexts on children’s literacy growth, as well as Bronfenbrenner’s ecological systems theory, which situates family environments as critical to early literacy outcomes. Employing hermeneutic phenomenology, the research adopted a mixed-methods approach to capture the lived experiences of parents engaged with the Kindytxt program, enabling a nuanced analysis of how text messaging might bridge potential gaps between home-based and school-based literacy learning practice. Key findings indicate that text message-based programs like Kindytxt hold the potential in mitigating common barriers identified in educational literature, including limited access to school literacy information, challenges in initiating literacy activities at home, and perceptions relating to the practical benefits of early literacy engagement. Parents reported that the prompt, accessible, and easily understood messages empowered them to integrate literacy-rich practices into daily routines. These results underscore the potential of literature-informed text messaging programs to foster stronger home-school aligned literacy learning and to improve literacy outcomes for children.