A Parental mHealth Resource Targeting Emergent Literacy: An Experimental Study

• DOI: 10.1007/s10643-020-01052-6
• Publication Date: 2020-03-17T16:32:38Z
• Authors: Cornelia Scheepers; Renata Eccles; Shabnam Abdoola; Marien Graham; Jeannie van der L...
• Keywords: Preschoolers; mHealth; Emergent literacy; 4. Education; 05 social sciences; Parental resource; 302; 0501 psychology and cognitive sciences

Emergent literacy abilities of young children are strong predictors of future academic success, however, biological and environmental risks can impact their progress. Parental interventions that promote home-based stimulation of preschoolers can enhance literacy development and ensure school readiness. mHealth technology may be a viable approach to offer parents increased access to emergent literacy resources. The effect of a parental mHealth resource targeting emergent literacy abilities was investigated. Eighty-two parent-preschooler (four- to five-year-old) dyads were randomly assigned to a control or experimental group based on age and gender. The parents of preschoolers in the experimental group received the mHealth application resource for 17 weeks. At post-test, no significant between-group differences were identified. Both groups showed significant within-group differences at post-test. Only eight of the parents in the experimental group (n = 42) used the mHealth application more than 50% of the active days. Most of the feedback received from parents regarding the application was positive. Parents may require more support when implementing mHealth emergent literacy resources.