A parental mHealth resource targeting emergent literacy : an experimental study

Abstract

Introduction: Emergent literacy abilities of young children are strong predictors of future academic success; however, biological and environmental risks can impact their progress. Insufficient literacy abilities in school-going children are a prominent problem as South Africa ranked the lowest out of 50 countries in the 2006, 2011 and 2016 Progress in International Reading Literacy Study reports. Parental interventions that promote home-based stimulation of preschoolers can enhance literacy development and ensure school readiness. Mobile phone technology worldwide is becoming readily available making mHealth services accessible to parents in a variety of settings providing access to emergent literacy resources. Method: The effect of a parental mHealth resource targeting emergent literacy abilities was investigated through an experimental, pre- and post-test design with preschoolers (four to five years) and their parents. Eighty-two parent-preschooler dyads were randomly assigned to a control or experimental group based on age and gender. The parents (n = 42) of preschoolers in the experimental group received the CareUp application for 17 weeks which served as the intervention approach. Results and discussion: At post-test, no significant between-group differences were identified but both groups showed significant within-group differences. Parents’ limited use of the parental mHealth resource may have impacted the effect of the resource on preschoolers’ emergent literacy abilities. Only eight (19%) of the parents in the experimental group used the CareUp application for more than 50% of the active days although most of the feedback provided by parents regarding the application was positive. Conclusion: Parents appear to require additional support when implementing mHealth emergent literacy resources to promote preschool children’s emergent literacy development. Further empirically designed studies on the effectiveness and use of parental mHealth applications in LMIC with additional support are warranted.