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JOURNAL OF EDUCATION, Volume 8, Number 1, November 2015

0 to 1000 with the scale centre-point at 500, This means that the manner in which the
as corresponds to the standard deviation students think about reading will affect
(PIRLS 2001). their performance on reading literacy. Every
Four aspects of reading are commonly student has different perceptions about
included in the discussion of students’ reading. When students have a positive
literacy. These are home–parent involvement, perception of reading, they will easily enjoy
student perception on reading, reading reading activity because they think that the
outside school, and ICT use. In Home-parent method used interesting and fun. Conversely,
involvement, parents are said to be able to students who have a poor perception of
be engaged in children’s education and reading tend to get bored and assume that

schooling in many ways both formally like reading is less attractive and monotonous.

in school community and informally like This can lead to students having difficulty
in the home. A previous study shows that reading to achieve the expected performance.

parents’ involvement has a significant effect Hao & Johnson (2013: 55) provide
on student achievement (Pinantoan, 2013). evidence that the higher the level of a
Further, the research notes that children with student’s self-perception of their reading

a strong relationship of parent engagement ability, the greater the benefits to support
are likely to have better social skills. their reading achievement. The study
Likewise, Davis (1948, cited in Walberg, indicates that self-perception makes students
Bole, & Waxman 1980) explained the link understand the importance of reading and to
between family circumstances and student achieve the goal of learning. In this study,
school learning, which acknowledges the students’ perception of reading includes the
positive behaviour of the students. When manner in which they think about reading
children have better engagement with their and how well they read.
parents at home, they initially have better In out of school reading, study has
attitudes and a higher level of achievement. observed that reading outside of school (e.g.
A study conducted by Emerson, et al. (2012) reading magazines, novels, or newspapers)

finds that there are positive correlations is a pleasure activity that plays a role in
of parents and children’s learning which the student’s reading development process

reflected in ‘improved school readiness, (Rena, Abedalaziz, & Leng, 2013: 37).

higher retention and graduation rates, To be more specific, there was a positive
enhanced cognitive development and relationship between reading achievement
academic achievement, higher motivation and fourth grade students’ activities outside
and greater ability to self-regulate behaviour, schools such as ‘reading books, telling
and better social and relationship skills’. stories, singing songs, playing with alphabet
Likewise, the National Parent Teacher toys, and playing word games’ (PIRLS
Association 2008 (Cunningham, Kreider, & 2001). An issue that may develop during the
Ocon, 2012: 112) also stated that ‘the more reading process is the understanding of text
extensive the family engagement, the greater materials, particularly when students need to

the student benefits’. write homework that is part of the lesson’s
On reading perception,several studies requirement after school (Mackey, 2006).
have reported strong associations between Thus, in an attempt to create greater support
student factors such as self-perception in reading activities outside school, the role
and reading (Hao & Johnson, 2013: 54). of the parents help is noteworthy.

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