ABSTRACT

In the 19th century, the devastating potato famine drove the Irish to seek work here, constructing London's new railway system. Studies of individual families permit the researcher to tease out the more subtle or hidden factors that contribute to successful early literacy, as the following case study aims to demonstrate. The importance of the pre-school home environment on children's subsequent literacy development has been recognised for some time. Literacy practices in the home, ranging from the bed-time story to parents' own reading habits, have been seen as crucial factors in predicting a child's later success in reading and writing. Parental responsibilities are wide-ranging. There are few professional families in the school sandwiched between the wealthy financial corporations and the council flats. Bedtime story reading and highly literate parents may be desirable ingredients in the recipe for successful early literacy, but they are not available to all children.