This longitudinal study followed a cohort of kindergarten classes over three years to examine how family literacy practices at home relate to children's early language and literacy development. Data were gathered through parent questionnaires, home visits and classroom-based literacy assessments, with particular interest in how shared reading routines, access to age-appropriate books and parental attitudes towards early literacy change over time. The study also considers the role that kindergartens play in supporting families, including through parent workshops and take-home reading schemes organised in partnership between schools and the Faculty. Findings suggest that consistent, low-cost interventions such as shared reading routines are associated with steadier gains in early literacy indicators than one-off events, and that family engagement in literacy tends to be sustained where kindergartens maintain regular, low-key contact with parents rather than occasional large events. The study contributes to the Faculty's ongoing programme of research on early childhood education in the Hong Kong context.
Publication details
- Authors: Professor Ho Sau Lan and Dr Tsang Mei Ling, Department of Early Childhood Education
- Department: Department of Early Childhood Education
- Publication type: Faculty research report
- Published: September 2026
- Publisher: Faculty of Education and Human Development, The Education University of Hong Kong
- Series: FEHD Research Report Series, No. 12
- Language: English, with a Chinese summary
- Full text: Available on request from the Faculty Research Office — research@eduhk.hk
How to cite
Ho, S. L., & Tsang, M. L. (2026). Family Literacy in Hong Kong Kindergartens: A Three-Year Longitudinal Study (FEHD Research Report Series No. 12). Faculty of Education and Human Development, The Education University of Hong Kong.