Abstract:

The general purpose of this study is to determine whether the parenting behaviours of parents of preschool children with special needs and typically developing preschool children predict the home literacy environment. In line with this general purpose, data were collected from 312 parents using the Home Literacy Environment Rating Scale (EVOD) and the Parenting Behaviours Scale. Of the participant parents, 223 had typically developing children and 80 had children with special needs. EVOD scores were analysed comparatively using ANOVA and t-test according to the parents' education level, income level, developmental status of their children, whether or not they did reading activities together, and whether or not they had their own room. It was found that the EVOD scores of the parents differed significantly according to their status of reading books with their children, having their own room and educational level. In addition, the scores obtained from the parenting behaviours scale and the scores obtained from EVOD were examined by regression analysis and it was concluded that parenting behaviours predicted the home literacy environment in the whole group. It was concluded that only positive parenting behaviours of parents with typically developing children predicted home literacy environment, while positive and negative parenting behaviours of parents with children with special needs predicted home literacy environment together.

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