Print Exposure and Reading Development in the French Educational Context: A Systematic Review

This systematic review examines the impact of print exposure on reading development withinthe French education system and its implications for international research. Motivated byFrance’s declining performance in international reading assessments, the review synthesizesevidence on how different forms of print exposure—ranging from home literacy environmentsto educational interventions—contribute to literacy outcomes. It critically evaluates printexposure measures, ranging from self-reports to print exposure checklists, and considers theirpredictive validity and conceptual clarity. Consistent with international findings, the reviewconfirms that print exposure, and more broadly the home literacy environment, supports literacydevelopment. However, its role appears more limited in France compared to other OECDcountries. This may be attributed to the strong effects of socioeconomic factors on students’performance, particularly pronounced in France, and the centralized educational system, whereliteracy instruction is primarily school-driven, potentially reducing parental involvement.Building on these insights, we propose an integrative framework to refine the conceptualizationof print exposure by distinguishing it from related constructs. Specifically, we suggestseparating direct measures of print exposure from distal indicators like the number of books athome, which often overlap with socioeconomic variables. We also advocate for the inclusion ofother potentially relevant variables, such as play experiences and oral parent-child interactions.To improve parsimony and robustness, we propose that future research adopt a nestedincremental approach to identify a minimal set of variables that maximize both predictive powerand reliability.