The Role of Parental Beliefs in Shaping Learners’ Reading Skills

Abstract

This study examined the relationship between parental beliefs and the reading skills of elementary learners, focusing on seven domains: teaching efficacy, positive affect, verbal participation, reading instruction, knowledge base, resources, and environmental input. Using survey questionnaires with 126 parents and a reading skills assessment for their children, data were analyzed through descriptive statistics and a t-test for independence. Results revealed high to very high parental beliefs in teaching efficacy, positive affect, verbal participation, reading instruction, and knowledge base, while beliefs related to resources were low and environmental input was moderate. Most learners (78.57%) were classified as transitioning readers, and only 21.43% were reading at grade level. Statistical analysis indicated no significant relationship between overall parental self-beliefs and learners’ reading skills (p = 0.578). These findings suggest that while parents hold strong positive beliefs about their role in literacy development, these beliefs alone may not directly translate into measurable reading achievement. The study underscores the need for interventions that bridge the gap between beliefs and consistent, high-quality literacy practices at home to support children’s reading proficiency.