Designing and implementing a family literacy program through smartphones: How does recruitment method influence uptake and attrition?
Abstract
Texting-based programs are increasingly used to support parents as their child’s first teacher and create links between home and school. However, there is scant evidence about the influence of program implementation on parent uptake and attrition—a key component of such programs. This article describes the design and delivery of Kindytxt, a literacy-based text-messaging program for parents with a child at Kindergarten in Western Australia, and examines the influence of recruitment method, area socioeconomic status, and teacher participation on parent uptake and attrition. Results indicate that embedding Kindytxt into a well-established family literacy program provided the infrastructure and mechanism for extensive program reach, and the recruitment method, specifically the involvement of the kindergarten teacher, significantly influenced parent registration. However, attrition rates were not significantly affected by the area socioeconomic status of participating schools, recruitment method, nor teacher participation in Kindytxt. The results suggest that teacher involvement may be the crucial factor in enabling parents to access texting programs, regardless of the socioeconomic status of the school community. The design elements may be used to inform future program development, and the research results highlight the importance of documenting and including the method of delivery as variables in the evaluation of program implementation.
Document Type
Journal Article
Date of Publication
1-1-2022
Volume
52
Publication Title
Early Childhood Education Journal
Publisher
Springer
School
School of Education
RAS ID
53091
Funders
Ian Potter Foundation Fogarty Foundation
Copyright
free_to_read
First Page
345
Last Page
356
Comments
Barratt-Pugh, C., Hill, S., Johnson, N. F., Barblett, L., & Parker, A. (2022). Designing and implementing a family literacy program through smartphones: How does recruitment method influence uptake and attrition? Early Childhood Education Journal., 52, 345-356. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10643-022-01433-z