Previous research on family literacy in North America has generally been conducted in English, even if the program targets English for speakers of other languages. However, the differences in English proficiency among parent participants may vary enormously in ways that are not easily predictable. In addition to the differences in parent participants’ English proficiency and their concept and experience of instruction, parents from diverse cultural backgrounds also have differences in parental beliefs, parental roles in supporting educational achievement and communicating with the school. All these differences make the provision of family literacy programs which target minority families as one group a challenging endeavor, both in program design and implementation. This study investigated the potential learning outcomes when a family literacy program with language supports were provided to Chinese immigrant families. An eight-week (two hours per week) literacy program was implemented in three Chinese community centers in Ontario, Canada. The overall objectives of the study were to provide a Chinese family literacy program in the Chinese community using Chinese as the language of instruction, and to evaluate the impact of this culturally related family literacy program in terms of children’s gains in both English and Chinese. This study has shown that a family literacy intervention, adapted for use with Chinese preschoolers and their parents, can have a significant and positive impact on children’s literacy development in both English and Chinese. This study found that children’s expressive vocabulary (both in English and in Chinese) improved as a result of the intervention. Children’s knowledge of the alphabet and their ability to produce letter-sounds improved significantly more if their parents participated in the intervention. Further, it was shown that specific home literacy environments in Chinese and in English are related to children’s literacy development in both languages. In Chinese, the number of Chinese reading materials in the home had the greatest impact on children’s Chinese receptive and expressive vocabularies. In English, the age at which the child was first read to in English had the greatest impact on children’s English expressive vocabularies, their letter-sound production knowledge, and their early reading ability. The study has shown that the provision of culturally and linguistically appropriate family literacy support goes a long way in helping diverse families to foster optimal literacy experiences for their young children at home.

The transition to school marks an important developmental step for children and families. Coping and competence during such a transition begin long before the child enters the classroom and effects last for many years. Although children are born with the capacity to learn, it is the quality of relationships, particularly the relationship with the primary caregiver that shapes early learning experiences. This study examined the links between the attachment relationship between mother and child on the developing teacher-child relationship, the effects of the adult-child relationships on child outcomes and on children’s perspectives of their kindergarten experience. Contextual factors were considered in relation to adult-child relationships and child outcomes. Despite a robust literature on mother-child relationships and teacher-child relationships, no empirical studies have examined these relationships with parallel instruments and few studies include the children’s voices. For this study, participants included mothers and their kindergarten children (N= 74) and kindergarten teachers (N=7) from five schools that differed in linguistic and socio-economic profiles. Mothers and teachers completed a Q-Sort measure of child attachment security and dependency, and children participated in three early literacy tasks and a child interview. The lack of significant association between mother-child attachment quality and dependency and direct child literacy outcomes was a surprising finding. Nevertheless, child interviews revealed that children who were less secure and more dependent with their mothers expressed difficulties with the academic aspects of school. The quality of teacher-child relationships was positively related to children’s early literacy outcomes. These findings were interpreted in light of contextual factors as suggested by Bronfenbrenner’s social-ecological theory. Adult reports of children’s attachment security and dependency were related to children’s participation in childcare or in a preschool program for more than 10 hours a week and to attendance in a private school that offered a full day preschool and kindergarten program. The implications of these findings point to the important role of high quality early childhood experiences that support attachment relationships with caregivers as children make the transition to school.

This action-based, qualitative research project involving 7 early childhood educators working in a well-established preschool child care program examined the influences of job-embedded professional development on children’s experiences of mathematics. Data was collected through observations, journals, conversations, interviews, and surveys, and then analyzed using a grounded theory model. A number of themes emerged, the strongest being those related to teachers’ increased awareness, interpretation, and support of children’s explorations in mathematics during play. This project provides an example of a successful model of teacher development for early childhood educators, and contributes to the growing field of research in mathematics education related to teacher noticing, but at the preschool level. Further, with the introduction of full day kindergarten and the emphasis on play based learning this project provides many rich examples of the mathematics present in children's every day play that can be used in future teacher development.

Samoan language nests have become well established in New Zealand due to the commitment, support and contribution of the Samoan community, the church, Samoan families, parents and most importantly the efforts of mothers. Their advent has created new settings within which or through which women's roles may become redefined. This thesis explores the questions of how relationships between Samoan language nests and family systems have developed, and how these relationships may have affected the development of roles within Samoan families, especially women's roles. To obtain answers to these questions three theoretical frameworks were utilised. Bronfenbrenner's (1979) ecological model provided concepts for understanding the developmental changes occurring in the transitional relationships between families and language nests. The second theoretical perspective employed was Vygotsky's (1978) sociocultural framework to analyse the cultural processes developing between Samoan families and language nests. The final framework was provided by Goodnow and Collins's (1990) concept of 'parents ideas'. Their argument is that parents' ideas and style of parenting has been influenced by their own ontogenic development, and by society's expectations. The answers to the research questions were obtained by interviewing 21 Samoan language nest supervisors in the Auckland area and 100 caregivers or parents. Samoan language nests influenced parents, mothers and their families in their awareness and affirmation of Samoan language and culture, helping with parenting skills, provided support groups and served as an opportunity to gain knowledge and skills about preschool operation and educational processes. Language nests reinforced women's maternal roles, it changed the way they related to their children and the women's support groups encouraged women to assert their rights as women. The level of commitment by women is illustrated in the ways mothers and parents contributed at the language nests. Overall 92 percent of the mothers and parents helped at the nests. The significant contribution of women in Samoan language nests serve to affirm her as a 'poutu', the 'superwoman', the strength of her family, of the church and her community. / Subscription resource available via Digital Dissertations only.

Samoan language nests have become well established in New Zealand due to the commitment, support and contribution of the Samoan community, the church, Samoan families, parents and most importantly the efforts of mothers. Their advent has created new settings within which or through which women's roles may become redefined. This thesis explores the questions of how relationships between Samoan language nests and family systems have developed, and how these relationships may have affected the development of roles within Samoan families, especially women's roles. To obtain answers to these questions three theoretical frameworks were utilised. Bronfenbrenner's (1979) ecological model provided concepts for understanding the developmental changes occurring in the transitional relationships between families and language nests. The second theoretical perspective employed was Vygotsky's (1978) sociocultural framework to analyse the cultural processes developing between Samoan families and language nests. The final framework was provided by Goodnow and Collins's (1990) concept of 'parents ideas'. Their argument is that parents' ideas and style of parenting has been influenced by their own ontogenic development, and by society's expectations. The answers to the research questions were obtained by interviewing 21 Samoan language nest supervisors in the Auckland area and 100 caregivers or parents. Samoan language nests influenced parents, mothers and their families in their awareness and affirmation of Samoan language and culture, helping with parenting skills, provided support groups and served as an opportunity to gain knowledge and skills about preschool operation and educational processes. Language nests reinforced women's maternal roles, it changed the way they related to their children and the women's support groups encouraged women to assert their rights as women. The level of commitment by women is illustrated in the ways mothers and parents contributed at the language nests. Overall 92 percent of the mothers and parents helped at the nests. The significant contribution of women in Samoan language nests serve to affirm her as a 'poutu', the 'superwoman', the strength of her family, of the church and her community. / Subscription resource available via Digital Dissertations only.

Samoan language nests have become well established in New Zealand due to the commitment, support and contribution of the Samoan community, the church, Samoan families, parents and most importantly the efforts of mothers. Their advent has created new settings within which or through which women's roles may become redefined. This thesis explores the questions of how relationships between Samoan language nests and family systems have developed, and how these relationships may have affected the development of roles within Samoan families, especially women's roles. To obtain answers to these questions three theoretical frameworks were utilised. Bronfenbrenner's (1979) ecological model provided concepts for understanding the developmental changes occurring in the transitional relationships between families and language nests. The second theoretical perspective employed was Vygotsky's (1978) sociocultural framework to analyse the cultural processes developing between Samoan families and language nests. The final framework was provided by Goodnow and Collins's (1990) concept of 'parents ideas'. Their argument is that parents' ideas and style of parenting has been influenced by their own ontogenic development, and by society's expectations. The answers to the research questions were obtained by interviewing 21 Samoan language nest supervisors in the Auckland area and 100 caregivers or parents. Samoan language nests influenced parents, mothers and their families in their awareness and affirmation of Samoan language and culture, helping with parenting skills, provided support groups and served as an opportunity to gain knowledge and skills about preschool operation and educational processes. Language nests reinforced women's maternal roles, it changed the way they related to their children and the women's support groups encouraged women to assert their rights as women. The level of commitment by women is illustrated in the ways mothers and parents contributed at the language nests. Overall 92 percent of the mothers and parents helped at the nests. The significant contribution of women in Samoan language nests serve to affirm her as a 'poutu', the 'superwoman', the strength of her family, of the church and her community. / Subscription resource available via Digital Dissertations only.

Samoan language nests have become well established in New Zealand due to the commitment, support and contribution of the Samoan community, the church, Samoan families, parents and most importantly the efforts of mothers. Their advent has created new settings within which or through which women's roles may become redefined. This thesis explores the questions of how relationships between Samoan language nests and family systems have developed, and how these relationships may have affected the development of roles within Samoan families, especially women's roles. To obtain answers to these questions three theoretical frameworks were utilised. Bronfenbrenner's (1979) ecological model provided concepts for understanding the developmental changes occurring in the transitional relationships between families and language nests. The second theoretical perspective employed was Vygotsky's (1978) sociocultural framework to analyse the cultural processes developing between Samoan families and language nests. The final framework was provided by Goodnow and Collins's (1990) concept of 'parents ideas'. Their argument is that parents' ideas and style of parenting has been influenced by their own ontogenic development, and by society's expectations. The answers to the research questions were obtained by interviewing 21 Samoan language nest supervisors in the Auckland area and 100 caregivers or parents. Samoan language nests influenced parents, mothers and their families in their awareness and affirmation of Samoan language and culture, helping with parenting skills, provided support groups and served as an opportunity to gain knowledge and skills about preschool operation and educational processes. Language nests reinforced women's maternal roles, it changed the way they related to their children and the women's support groups encouraged women to assert their rights as women. The level of commitment by women is illustrated in the ways mothers and parents contributed at the language nests. Overall 92 percent of the mothers and parents helped at the nests. The significant contribution of women in Samoan language nests serve to affirm her as a 'poutu', the 'superwoman', the strength of her family, of the church and her community. / Subscription resource available via Digital Dissertations only.

Samoan language nests have become well established in New Zealand due to the commitment, support and contribution of the Samoan community, the church, Samoan families, parents and most importantly the efforts of mothers. Their advent has created new settings within which or through which women's roles may become redefined. This thesis explores the questions of how relationships between Samoan language nests and family systems have developed, and how these relationships may have affected the development of roles within Samoan families, especially women's roles. To obtain answers to these questions three theoretical frameworks were utilised. Bronfenbrenner's (1979) ecological model provided concepts for understanding the developmental changes occurring in the transitional relationships between families and language nests. The second theoretical perspective employed was Vygotsky's (1978) sociocultural framework to analyse the cultural processes developing between Samoan families and language nests. The final framework was provided by Goodnow and Collins's (1990) concept of 'parents ideas'. Their argument is that parents' ideas and style of parenting has been influenced by their own ontogenic development, and by society's expectations. The answers to the research questions were obtained by interviewing 21 Samoan language nest supervisors in the Auckland area and 100 caregivers or parents. Samoan language nests influenced parents, mothers and their families in their awareness and affirmation of Samoan language and culture, helping with parenting skills, provided support groups and served as an opportunity to gain knowledge and skills about preschool operation and educational processes. Language nests reinforced women's maternal roles, it changed the way they related to their children and the women's support groups encouraged women to assert their rights as women. The level of commitment by women is illustrated in the ways mothers and parents contributed at the language nests. Overall 92 percent of the mothers and parents helped at the nests. The significant contribution of women in Samoan language nests serve to affirm her as a 'poutu', the 'superwoman', the strength of her family, of the church and her community. / Subscription resource available via Digital Dissertations only.

Master of Science / Department of Family Studies and Human Services / Ann D. Murray / This study investigated the effects of sound-producing toys on the social and cognitive levels of play in young children. Thirty-four pairs of children were observed (N=68), ages 3, 4, and 5 years, during 15-minute play sessions. The play conditions were: 1) farm set with sound, 2) farm set with no sound, 3) doctor set with sound, and 4) doctor set with no sound. Independent variables included age, gender, and the presence or absence of sound. Dependent variables included the percentages of time that children engaged in levels of social play (solitary, parallel, and group), levels of cognitive play (functional, constructive, and dramatic), and non-play. Overall, sound was marginally associated with more time spent in play. For group play there was a marginally significant sound by gender interaction, suggesting that sound doubled female group play. There was a significant sound by age interaction suggesting that 5-year olds engaged in group play more with sound than with no sound. A significant sound by gender interaction indicated that the presence of sound increased dramatic play in both males and females, but more so in females. A sound by age interaction indicated that 5-year-olds engaged in more dramatic play with sound than without. Three-year-olds also engaged in more dramatic play when sound was present. There was a significant sound by gender interaction indicating males engaged in more functional play than girls when sound was present. There was a significant sound by age interaction, indicating that 5-year-olds engaged in less constructive play when sound was present. In conclusion, young children were more likely to engage in play when sound was present. Sound enhanced the play of 5-year-olds who engaged in more group and dramatic play, but less constructive play, with sound-producing toys. Sound also enhanced the play quality of 3-year-olds, who engaged in more dramatic play when sound was present. Furthermore, sound enhanced the play of girls who engaged in more group and dramatic play with sound, and boys, who engaged in more dramatic play with sound. Limitations of the study along with implications for future research are discussed.

Master of Science / Family Studies and Human Services / Karen S. Myers-Bowman / Single parenting has become a part of American society, yet it seems that through stereotyping and shaming these parents are looked down upon. Often times, single parents do not have the same resources as two parent homes, but single parents can still be effective and raise well-rounded children. This is a qualitative study that sought to provide a different perspective of single never-married parents by interviewing their young adult children. This study focused on the experiences of the young adult children and used Family Stress Theory to help understand and capture specific moments in their lives.