Family Literacy and Emergent Writing in Early Childhood: A Mixed-Methods Study of Greek Families

Abstract This mixed-methods study examined how Greek families support preschool children’s emergent literacy and early writing development within diverse sociocultural and economic contexts. Data were collected from 310 parents through a structured questionnaire combining quantitative measures of literacy activities with qualitative accounts of home routines. Quantitative analyses revealed significant relationships between shared reading and children’s print awareness ( r = .46, p < .01), and between tactile letter play and name-writing proficiency (χ²(3, N = 310) = 9.67, p < .01). Qualitative findings illustrated that parents fostered literacy through affectionate, routine-based reading, playful use of materials, and encouragement of emergent writing behaviors such as scribbling and name attempts. However, families also reported barriers including time constraints, financial limitations, and restricted access to libraries or community literacy resources. The integration of both data strands highlighted “macro-scaffolding”, the notion that home literacy development depends on not only parental interaction but also systemic supports such as school partnerships and public infrastructure. These findings extend sociocultural and emergent literacy theories by situating family literacy within a broader ecological context, emphasizing that meaningful literacy growth arises from relational, creative, and community-linked engagement. Implications for practice include establishing family literacy hubs, affordable material access, and parent workshops to bridge the gap between motivation and opportunity.