Family Involvement in Early Reading and Writing: A Needs Analysis Based on Stakeholder Perspectives

This study aims to reveal the multidimensional structure of family involvement in early reading and writing education and the needs that arise within this scope, based on the views of teachers, families, and field experts. In the study, the exploratory sequential design of mixed-methods research was adopted; the findings from interviews with stakeholders were supported by data obtained from 490 classroom teachers through a survey. The data obtained were analysed based on thematic analysis and descriptive statistics. The findings from the interviews revealed that all stakeholders considered family involvement to be a fundamental and indispensable element of the early reading and writing process. Furthermore, it was emphasised that this process should be supported not only through traditional forms of involvement but also through systematic family information meetings and home- and classroom-based involvement methods. It was found that teachers and families experienced similar difficulties, especially at the beginning of the early reading and writing process, and had common needs in terms of information meetings and family involvement. According to the survey findings, families need to be informed about issues such as developmental processes, effective communication and fine motor skills development, and are expected to support their children in areas such as fine motor skills development, reading comprehension and legible writing. Stakeholder views indicate that family involvement processes based on home and classroom settings can be carried out in a more conscious and sustainable manner when families are informed based on their needs. In this context, it has been observed that needs-based, programmed, and systematic family involvement processes have the potential to increase student achievement.