Parent and teacher perspectives about preschool children’s natural learning opportunities in two immigrant Head Start communities

ABSTRACT In the past decade, there has been a significant increase in the number of dual-language learning (DLL) preschool children. Guided by the literatures on home-school partnership and caregiver ethnotheories, the present study explored parents’ and teachers’ understandings of natural learning opportunities in DLL children’s homes and surrounding communities. Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis (IPA) was conducted on the transcripts of 18 interviews with parents (n = 9) and teachers (n = 9) from two Head Start programs in a large northeastern city. Results showed that participants discussed natural learning opportunities for DLL preschool children across three primary learning contexts: home, school, and community. Learning experiences were arranged and routinely implemented by immigrant parents and teachers to foster character and positive approaches to learning, provide accessible educational experiences, and preserve cultural heritage for DLL children. Combined, immigrant parents’ and preschool teachers’ narratives revealed salient priorities and values concerning children’s learning across the three natural contexts, for young Latine- and Chinese-heritage children growing up in the US. Future directions for including parents’ and immigrant teachers’ voices in early childhood programs, teacher training, and home-school partnership research are discussed.