Abstract

The study investigated home literacy practices as correlates of academic performance in English composition writing among public senior secondary school students in Lagos State, Nigeria. Three research questions and one hypothesis guided the study. Descriptive survey and correlational research designs were adopted. The population comprised all public senior secondary two students in Lagos State. Multi-stage sampling technique was used to select 540 students from three educational districts in the state. A composition writing test and a students' questionnaire were used for the data collection, which lasted for 30 days. Thereafter, five seasoned English Language international examiners assessed the students' scripts. Students' scores on the test and their responses in the questionnaires were correlated using Pearson Product Moment Correlation. Results revealed that there was a negative and very weak, non-significant relationship between students' levels of exposure to home literacy practices and their academic performance in English composition writing. Hence, it was recommended that public senior secondary school students in Lagos State should embrace only the relevant home literacy practices that can positively influence their academic performance in English composition writing and frequently make appropriate use of them to improve their English composition writing skills.