Poster #38 - Preschoolers’ Learning at Home: Reports From Parents in the U.S, Bulgaria, Israel, Spain

• In Event: Poster Session 18

Abstract

The preschool years are a critical time for children to develop a foundation of reading and mathematics skills because these skills predict their later academic success (Watts et al., 2014). U.S. parents view it as important that their preschoolers engage in reading and mathematics at home and that they assist their children with such activities (Sonnenschein et al., 2016). They emphasize reading more than mathematics and are more confident about assisting with reading than mathematics (Sonnenschein et al., 2022).
Given differences in customs/beliefs across countries, we need to expand research beyond just parents in the United States. We know how Asian parents socialize their children’s mathematics success in school (Stevenson et al.,1990) but know far less about what parents in other countries are doing.

This study addresses the following questions with parents in the United States, Bulgaria (Eastern Europe), Spain (Western Europe), and Israel (Middle East).
1. What views do parents from different countries have about the importance of the home for fostering preschool age children’s reading and mathematics skills?
2. How much time do children spend doing such activities?
3. How confident do parents feel to assist their children with these activities?
4. What information do parents want to receive from their children’s teachers?
Parents of preschoolers were asked to participate in an online Qualtrics survey (U.S. N=183, Bulgaria N=103; Spain N= 138; Israel N=167). The original English language questionnaire (Table 1) was translated into the appropriate language, then reviewed by all the investigators to ensure cultural appropriateness. The Qualtrics survey was distributed by the investigator in each country through snowballing and social media sites catering to families of preschool children. Most respondents were college educated.
Table 2 shows important similarities and differences across countries in reading and mathematics. The final poster will present a profile of each country. Here we present only abbreviated results.
1. Parents across countries endorsed the importance of children reading significantly more than doing mathematics. Parents in the U.S. endorsed the importance of children’s engagement in reading and mathematics and assisting them with such activities more than parents in other countries.
2. Children in the U.S. reportedly spent more time (MUS=188.3, SDUS=129.6) reading than children in other countries (Mtotal=130.1, SDtotal=142.8). Interestingly, there were no differences across countries in time spent doing mathematics (Mtotal=94.6, SDtotal=198.0) except children from Israel spent significantly more time doing mathematics than children in Spain (p=.04)
3. U.S. parents reported significantly more confidence teaching their children reading and math skills than parents in other countries.
4. Parents in each country expressed a desire to receive more information from their children’s teachers about reading and mathematics activities to do with their children. However, the information they desired differed across countries.

Regardless of country, there are consistent differences in how parents report socializing their young children’s reading and mathematics skills and their confidence doing so. Such information begins to establish a foundation from which researchers and educators can work to assist families in socializing their children’s reading and mathematics skills.

Authors

• Susan Sonnenschein, University of Maryland - Baltimore County
  Presenting Author

• Michele Stites, University of Maryland - Baltimore County

• Dorit Aram, Tel Aviv University

• Hatice Gursoy, University of Maryland - Baltimore County

• Galia Meoded Karabanov, Tel Aviv University

• Carmen López-Escribano, University Complutense of Madrid (Spain)

• Katerina Atanasova Shtereva, St. Kliment Ohridski University of Sofia