Modeling the relationships among home literacy environment, reading interest, self-regulation, and reading ability of children with intellectual disabilities in China

Background: Understanding of reading skills of children with intellectual disabilities can help implement appropriate educational strategies. This study aimed to explore the relationship between home literacy environment and reading ability of children with intellectual disabilities and possible mediating roles of reading interest and self-regulation in this relationship. Method: 297 Chinese children with intellectual disabilities were surveyed for home literacy environment, reading interest, self-regulation and reading ability questionnaires. Data entry, correlation and structural equation modeling were performed using the Statistical Package for Social Science software package. Results: Home literacy environment impacted reading ability of children with intellectual disabilities via mediation by reading interest and self-regulation. Conclusions: These results revealed the influencing pathways of home literacy environment on reading ability of children with intellectual disabilities and ascertained the positive roles of reading interest and self-regulation in their reading development.