Abstract
Statement of Problem
The achievement gap is an ongoing problem that seems to continue to widen before it has a chance to narrow. There are many factors that are a cause for this, with socioeconomic status (SES) being a major reason, as well as cultural views and the importance of vocabulary knowledge. These factors play an important role in early language acquisition, which ultimately has a crucial role in academic achievement. This project focuses on the research behind these reasons. The research resulted in the development of a handbook to serve parents a guide to promote a strong foundation for literacy.
Sources of Data
Sources of data used consisted of research of mostly peer reviewed articles that were used to create a research-based handbook.
Conclusions Reached
After a thorough literature review, the author has concluded that SES, cultural views and vocabulary exposure and knowledge are all factors of early language acquisition. Although closing the achievement gap is currently a far-reaching feat, this handbook offers strategies to help support language development intended for any parent to implement with their children. The goal is to empower parents to intentionally set a strong reading foundation for their children to succeed.