Challenging Factors and the Role of the Family towards Children's Literacy. Case of Port Harcourt, Nigeria

Abstract

The study examines the barriers towards the roles of the family in child's literacy. It adopted an 11 item questionnaire known as FACHIL as the main instrument. 532 pupils whose age range from 8-13 years were the respondents. The instrument was validated by colleagues who are experts in the area of study and a test retest exercise whose result was 0.75 was adopted to ascertain the instrument's degree of reliability. Percentages, means and chi-square were used to analyze the data. It established that there is literacy skills among the pupils. Employment and collaboration with teachers as well as teaching and studying with the children were found to be credibly carried out by the families as their roles towards the child's literacy. Although parents' literacy level, absence of family library, commitment by parents to examine the children's book were found as limiting factors. Gender and the nature of schools attended by children were considered to hold significant influence on the child's literacy level. It was recommended that mass enlightenment is needed to enable the families to effectively discharge their functions.