2006 NCFR Annual Conference by Dr. Chu-Chu Wu and Dr 2006 NCFR Annual Conference by Dr. Chu-Chu Wu and Dr. Alice Honig from Georgia Southwestern State University & Syracuse University 2006 NCFR Annual Conference We are the Same; We are Different: Taiwanese maternal beliefs about young children's language learning through storybook reading My name is Chu-Chu Wu. I am currently teaching in the school of education at Georgia Southwestern State University. This research is part of my doctoral dissertation. The reason I want to do this research is because we all know that many researches have showed that storybook reading provides a wonderful social context for literacy interaction between the parent and the child. It is a very prevalent family literacy practice in the United States. However, in Taiwan, I would say, storybook joint reading or parent-child book reading is a very common practice in many Taiwanese families. There are some child and family studies researchers have begin to explore this area of literacy learning for young children in Taiwan. No research has explored Taiwanese maternal belief systems about reading to their preschool children yet. So, this research will be a pioneer to examine Taiwanese mother’s beliefs about young children’s language learning through storybook reading. The data will be also compared with the American’s data to get a cross cultural perspective on maternal beliefs about reading. Dr. Chu-Chu Wu Georgia Southwestern State University Dr. Alice Honig Syracuse University Contact Information: Chu-Chu Wu (chuchuwu@canes.gsw.edu) or Dr. Alice Honig (ahonig@syr.edu)

2006 NCFR Annual Conference by Dr. Chu-Chu Wu and Dr 2006 NCFR Annual Conference by Dr. Chu-Chu Wu and Dr. Alice Honig from Georgia Southwestern State University & Syracuse University Review of Literature Chinese parents believe that education can bring children better careers and lives (Chiao, 1995). Asian parents tended to have more positive attitude toward their children’s ability and have strong efficacy in teaching their children (Chen, 2001). Taiwanese maternal storybook reading styles vary by child’s age (3 and 5 years) (Kim, 2000). In general and from cross cultural parenting literature, we learn that Chinese parents believe that education can bring children better careers and lives. Chinese parents value education very much. Also, Asian parents tended to have more positive attitude toward their children’s ability and have strong efficacy in teaching their children. Kim, 2000 examined Taiwanese mother’s reading styles with their 3 and 5 years olds. Not surprisingly she found that maternal reading styled do vary by child’s age. Contact Information: Chu-Chu Wu (chuchuwu@canes.gsw.edu) or Dr. Alice Honig (ahonig@syr.edu)

2006 NCFR Annual Conference by Dr. Chu-Chu Wu and Dr 2006 NCFR Annual Conference by Dr. Chu-Chu Wu and Dr. Alice Honig from Georgia Southwestern State University & Syracuse University Research Questions What factors constitute Taiwanese mothers’ beliefs about their young children’s language learning? Do these belief factors differ from reported belief factors of American mothers? Do Taiwanese maternal beliefs about preschool children’s language learning vary by child age and gender and by maternal education? In this research we asked the following research questions: 1) what factors constitute Taiwanese mothers’ beliefs about their young children’s language learning; 2) whether these belief factors differ from reported belief factors of American mothers; and 3) whether Taiwanese maternal beliefs about preschool children’s language learning vary by child age and gender and by maternal education. Contact Information: Chu-Chu Wu (chuchuwu@canes.gsw.edu) or Dr. Alice Honig (ahonig@syr.edu)

Methodology_1 Subjects Instruments: 2006 NCFR Annual Conference by Dr. Chu-Chu Wu and Dr. Alice Honig from Georgia Southwestern State University & Syracuse University Methodology_1 Subjects 888 Taiwanese mothers of 2-6 years-olds responded (80% responding rate) These mothers reside in Tainan, Taiwan Data collection: August to December 2004 Instruments: Chinese language version of Parental Reading Beliefs Inventory (PRBI) adopted and translated from DeBaryshe and Binder (1994). Family information survey (i.e. child age, gender, parental education) The sample consisted of volunteer Taiwanese mothers whose preschool children attended public and private preschools in Tainan, Taiwan. We distributed 1000 copies of the Chinese language version of the Parental Reading Beliefs Inventory (PRBI) to licensed preschool programs and included a consent form for the director as well as for the parents to fill out. 888 Taiwanese mothers of 2-5 years-olds responded. We have a 80% responding rate. The data collection is from August to December 2004. The Chinese language version of the Parental Reading Beliefs Inventory (PRBI) was adapted from DeBaryshe and Binder (1994). The PRBI measures parental beliefs about young children’s language learning through storybook reading. A family information survey provided demographic information, including child age and gender, and parental education status. The data were collected from August to December, 2004, in six districts in Tainan, a moderate sized city in Taiwan. Contact Information: Chu-Chu Wu (chuchuwu@canes.gsw.edu) or Dr. Alice Honig (ahonig@syr.edu)

Demographic Information 2006 NCFR Annual Conference by Dr. Chu-Chu Wu and Dr. Alice Honig from Georgia Southwestern State University & Syracuse University Demographic Information Mother’s Age (M=35.61) Maternal Education (M=3.2) Master and above degree (7%) Bachelor’s degree (18%) Two-three year college degree (27%) High school graduate (36%) High school incomplete (3%) Junior high school (9 years) (6%) Elementary school (6 years) (1%) No response (3%) The average of mother’s age is about 35 years old. The average of maternal education level is 2-3 years college (about 14-15 years of education) We would say, mothers do have a fairly high education level in this sample. Contact Information: Chu-Chu Wu (chuchuwu@canes.gsw.edu) or Dr. Alice Honig (ahonig@syr.edu)

Demographic Information_2 Child Gender Boys (53%) Girls (46%) No response (1.2%) Child Age (M=4.87 years old) 2-3 years: 0.6% 3 Years old: 14% 4 Years old: 43% 5 Years old: 35 % 6 Years old: 7%

Parental Reading Beliefs: Comparison with American Data 2006 NCFR Annual Conference by Dr. Chu-Chu Wu and Dr. Alice Honig from Georgia Southwestern State University & Syracuse University Results Parental Reading Beliefs: Comparison with American Data USA Factor Order (N=154) Positive Affect (9) Verbal Participation (8) Teaching Efficacy (9) Resources(3) Knowledge Base (5) Environment Input (2) Reading Instruction (4) Original Items: 40 TW Factor Order (N=888) Knowledge Base (5) Verbal Participation (5) Teaching Efficacy (6) Positive Affect (Behavioral) (3) Positive Affect (Warmth) (3) Resources (2) Reading Instruction (2) Retained Items: 25 From DeBaryshe’s work, 7 factors were extracted from the responses of mothers’ beliefs about reading and they The number one factor emerged from their data was positive affect, which describes that mother views positive emotion during reading is important. There is a difference in beliefs between American mothers and Taiwanese mothers in terms of the priority and emphasis on storybook reading. Contact Information: Chu-Chu Wu (chuchuwu@canes.gsw.edu) or Dr. Alice Honig (ahonig@syr.edu)

Total 40 25 Original category (American sample) # of item Factor order for Taiwanese sample Retained # of item 5. Knowledge Base 5 1. Practical knowledge or moral orientation 2. Verbal Participation 8 2. Verbal participation strategies 3. Teaching Efficacy 9 3. Teaching role as parents 6 1. Positive Affect 4. Behaviour control (Control) 2 5. Positive emotions about joint reading (Warmth) 3 4.Resources 6. Physical/emotional availability 6.Environment input a 7.Reading Instruction 4 7. Teaching before formal school (emergent literacy perspective) Total 40 25

Descriptions of items Practical knowledge or moral orientation My child learns lessons and morals from the stories we read. My child learns important life skills from books (like how to follow a cooking recipe, how to protect themselves from strangers). Verbal participation I ask my child a lot of questions when we read When we read, I want my child to ask questions about the book. Teaching Role as Parents Parents need to be involved in their children's education. My child learns many important things from me. Behaviour control/ expectation I don't read to my child because he or she won't sit still. (Reverse) Positive Emotions about Joint Reading Reading with my child is a special time that we love to share. I enjoy reading with my child. Adult emotional and physical availability Even if I would like to, I'm just too busy and too tired to read to my child. (reverse) I don't read to my child because I have other, more important things to do as a parent. (reverse) Teaching before Formal School My child is too young to learn about reading. (reverse) Parents should teach children how to read before they start school.

2006 NCFR Annual Conference by Dr. Chu-Chu Wu and Dr 2006 NCFR Annual Conference by Dr. Chu-Chu Wu and Dr. Alice Honig from Georgia Southwestern State University & Syracuse University Do these belief factors differ from reported belief factors of American mothers? Taiwanese mothers place more value on moral and practical knowledge that children can gain from storybook reading. American parents believe that positive emotions during joint book reading are more important than other factors. Both groups of mothers do value the importance of engaging in verbal participation strategies during reading and they value their own role in their children’s early language learning. Contact Information: Chu-Chu Wu (chuchuwu@canes.gsw.edu) or Dr. Alice Honig (ahonig@syr.edu)

Do Taiwanese maternal beliefs about preschool children’s language learning vary by child age and gender? Taiwanese mothers with 3-year-old children hold stronger beliefs about the importance of positive emotions while reading than mothers of 4 years or 5 years old. Taiwanese mothers hold stricter beliefs for behavior while reading for girls than for boys, stricter for 5 years-olds than for 4-years-olds.

Do Taiwanese maternal beliefs about preschool children’s language learning vary by maternal education? Regardless of Taiwanese mothers’ level of education, all the Taiwanese mothers strongly believe in the importance of engaging in verbal participation strategies such as asking questions and talking about the story. Other factors, such as positive affect (both emotional and behavioral affect toward children), teaching efficacy, resources, knowledge base, reading instruction, did vary as a function of maternal educational level. Mothers with higher education had higher positive scores on above factors of the Parental Reading Beliefs Inventory than did mothers with lower education.

Discussion and Implications The Taiwan findings are congruent with American early literacy literature that: Parental reading beliefs are multifaceted Engaging in verbalization and positive teaching efficacy is positively associated with a child’s language learning.

Implications Cultural variation: 2006 NCFR Annual Conference by Dr. Chu-Chu Wu and Dr. Alice Honig from Georgia Southwestern State University & Syracuse University Implications Cultural variation: The finding of a strong belief in the importance of early instruction, the priority of moral education, and teaching efficacy among Taiwanese mothers is different from reports of American mother’s beliefs (DeBaryshe & Binder, 1994). Views of the function and effects of storybook reading tasks are different between American and Taiwanese mothers. For most American parents, reading is considered primarily a social and entertaining experience (Sonnenschein, Baker, Serpell, & Schmidt, 2000). For Taiwanese mothers, storybook reading is more likely to be characterized as a “virtuous” learning experience (Li, 2004). Explain: children should not teach before school. Contact Information: Chu-Chu Wu (chuchuwu@canes.gsw.edu) or Dr. Alice Honig (ahonig@syr.edu)

2006 NCFR Annual Conference by Dr. Chu-Chu Wu and Dr 2006 NCFR Annual Conference by Dr. Chu-Chu Wu and Dr. Alice Honig from Georgia Southwestern State University & Syracuse University Implications American parents score higher than Taiwanese mothers in emphasizing the importance of providing emotional and physical availability to reading (resources). Home resources and frequency of storybook reading are more prevalent and encouraged in the United States (Honig & Brophy, 1996). Storybook joint reading is NOT a prevalent family literacy practice in many Taiwanese families. However, Taiwanese mothers hold strong beliefs in the importance of teaching reading early and they recognize the importance of verbal participation in storybook reading and providing positive emotional affect for younger children while reading. Although storybook joint reading is NOT a prevalent family literacy practice in many Taiwanese families, Taiwanese mothers remain holding high beliefs in teaching reading early and recognize the importance of verbal participation in storybook reading and more positive emotional affect towards younger children during reading storybooks. Contact Information: Chu-Chu Wu (chuchuwu@canes.gsw.edu) or Dr. Alice Honig (ahonig@syr.edu)

Thank You!