Investigation of Home Learning Environment and School Readiness in Kwara State

The home learning environment provides the foundational experiences that shape young children's cognitive and social readiness for formal schooling, and characterising this environment in North Central Nigeria helps identify family support needs for ECD programming. This study investigated the relationship between home learning environment quality and school readiness among children aged 4 to 6 years in Ilorin East, Ilorin West, and Irepodun Local Government Areas, Kwara State. A cross-sectional correlational design was employed. Home learning environment quality was assessed using the Family Environment Interview for Early Learning with 200 families, measuring book availability, shared reading frequency, play material variety, parental language engagement, and learning activity support. School readiness was assessed using the School Readiness Assessment for Nigerian Children. Pearson correlation and multiple regression analyses were applied. Results showed a significant positive relationship between home learning environment quality and overall school readiness (r = 0.62, p < 0.001). Book availability and shared reading were the strongest individual predictors of language readiness. Material poverty moderated the relationship. Maternal education was independently predictive of readiness after controlling for home learning environment quality. Recommendations include family learning support programmes through community health workers, school-linked lending library initiatives, and parenting workshops targeting low-literacy mothers in Kwara State LGAs. Keywords: home learning environment, school readiness, Kwara State, family literacy, early childhood