Direct and mediated influences of home literacy and literacy interest on prereaders' oral vocabulary and early written language skill

Home literacy (reports of children's literacy activities at home and parent s' storybook tide recognition) and literacy interest (children's reports of feelings about literacy activities) were identified as 2 independent sourc es of literacy experience among 92 kindergarten prereaders. Together, they accounted for significant variance in oral vocabulary (21%) and on a letter -name and letter-sound measure of early written language (18%). Entering ph onological awareness first in hierarchical regression eliminated home Liter acy's unique contribution to written language but not to vocabulary, indica ting that home literacy is directly related to vocabulary but that phonolog ical awareness mediates its relationship with written language. Literacy in terest was unrelated to phonological awareness and accounted for unique var iance in written language only. Discussion focused on print exposure versus explicit print-sound instruction in home literacy activities.