|
Adriana G.
Bus
Leiden University
Paul P.M.
Leseman
University of
Amsterdam
Petra Keultjes
Leiden
University
|
|
This
article reports about in-depth analyses of how parents from different
cultural groups mediated a simple narrative text to their 4-year-old
children. The sample included 19 Surinamese-Dutch, 19 Turkish-Dutch,
and 19 Dutch low-SES dyads. The sessions videotaped in the families'
homes were transcribed and coded with a detailed behavioral coding
system that maps the function and content of parent and child behaviors.
In addition, the sessions were rated on four 7-point scales for how
parents interacted with their children in terms of supportive presence.
Overall the study supports the hypothesis that when reading is less
important for the parents personally, they are less inclined to deviate
from the text in order to negotiate meaning. Their children initiated
more interactions than other children did, but low-cognitive-demand
behaviors such as naming details or identifying pictures of characters
characterized these interactions. The ethnic groups also diVered in
how parents interacted with their children, but these characteristics
of the reading session were not related to parental literacy. |