The home literacy environment is a well-established area of research. Few studies, however, have explored the facilitators to and challenges of the home literacy environment in the context of Aotearoa. The aims of this study were a) explore different aspects of the home literacy environment and b) gain a better understanding of the various factors that influence parents’ ability to engage in home literacy activities aligned to the literacy approach their children are receiving within their class learning. A qualitative approach was implemented through the use of in-person and remote semi-structured interviews with parents of year 0/1 children whose teachers were involved in implementing the Better Start Literacy Approach (BSLA). Analysis of the interviews revealed eight key themes related to parents’ engagement with home literacy activities associated with the BSLA; time, a positive relationship with the class teacher, child’s reading interest and motivation, routines, siblings, structured approach to learning, screen-time and influence of COVID- 19 lockdown period. Overall, the findings from the present study suggest that parents preferred a flexible approach to home literacy by engaging in activities and experiences that can be integrated within their already established routines. The results from this study emphasise the importance of quality home-school communication, particularly when interacting with children and whānau who come from different cultural and ethnic backgrounds. Implications and limitations of the study are discussed, and opportunities for future research are outlined in the discussion.