Fathers’ Cognitive Engagement and Preschoolers’ Literacy Skills in Three Ethnic Groups in Trinidad and Tobago

Abstract

Using the UNICEF Multiple Indicator Cluster Surveys, this study assessed the associations between fathers’ cognitive engagement and preschoolers’ literacy skills in African Caribbean, Indo-Caribbean, and mixed-ethnic Caribbean families in Trinidad and Tobago. The sample consisted of 476 fathers and their preschool-aged children. Multigroup structural equation modeling indicated that paternal cognitive engagement was associated with children’s literacy skills in mixed-ethnic Caribbean and Indo-Caribbean families above and beyond maternal cognitive engagement activities. Across all groups, children’s age, number of hours in preschool, and number of children’s books in the home were associated with children’s literacy skills. Fathers’ residential status was associated with children’s literacy skills differently across ethnic groups. Findings are interpreted in terms of the importance and consistency of paternal engagement in the home environment for the acquisition of early language skills in developing countries.

Paternal and Maternal Cognitive Engagement and Preschoolers’ Literacy Skills Across Six Ethnic Groups in Suriname

“…The mother-father discrepancies in engagement activities were not surprising given that early child care and socialization responsibilities are still deeply rooted in traditional gendered-based ideologies about men’s and women’s roles in different Caribbean cultural communities (Anderson & Daley, 2015; Chevannes, 2001). In prior research, mothers were five times more likely to read to children, to tell stories, and to name/count objects than were fathers among diverse ethnic groups in Suriname (Dede Yildirim & Roopnarine, 2017), and a markedly discrepant pattern was noted for mothers’ and fathers’ engagement in literacy-type activities in Trinidad and Tobago (Roopnarine & Dede Yildirim, 2019a). Maroon fathers and mothers were the least likely to engage in cognitive stimulation activities with children, and Hindustani, Javanese, and Mixed-ethnic fathers and mothers were the most likely to engage in cognitive stimulation activities with children relative to parents in the other groups.…”

“…Fathers’ cognitive engagement was associated with children’s literacy skills in Amerindian, Maroon, Creole, and Javanese families, whereas mothers’ cognitive engagement was associated with children’s literacy skills in Amerindian, Creole, and Hindustani families. In past analyses (Dede Yildirim & Roopnarine, 2017), paternal and maternal cognitive engagement also showed irregular patterns of associations with children’s literacy skills across Barbados, Belize, the Dominican Republic, Guyana, Jamaica, and Suriname, and between fathers’ cognitive engagement and children’s literacy skills in different ethnic groups in Trinidad and Tobago (Roopnarine & Dede Yildirim, 2019a). Nonetheless, that significant pathways of associations were evident between the two constructs for fathers across four ethnic groups that differ in sociocultural practices point to the efficacy and utility of early paternal cognitive stimulation for the development of children’s early literacy skills during the preschool years in the developing nation of Suriname.…”

“…Maternal cognitive engagement was positively associated with children’s literacy skills in Guyana, the Dominican Republic, and Belize, and paternal engagement was positively associated with children’s literacy skills in Barbados and Guyana only (Dede Yildirim & Roopnarine, 2017). In another study, paternal cognitive engagement was positively associated with children’s literacy skills among Indo- and Mixed-ethnic but not African-Caribbean families in Trinidad and Tobago (Roopnarine & Dede Yildirim, 2019a). These two studies also showed that family material resources and father presence in the home were favorably associated with maternal and paternal cognitive engagement activities with children but not uniformly so across cultural groups (Roopnarine & Dede Yildirim, 2019a).…”

“…In another study, paternal cognitive engagement was positively associated with children’s literacy skills among Indo- and Mixed-ethnic but not African-Caribbean families in Trinidad and Tobago (Roopnarine & Dede Yildirim, 2019a). These two studies also showed that family material resources and father presence in the home were favorably associated with maternal and paternal cognitive engagement activities with children but not uniformly so across cultural groups (Roopnarine & Dede Yildirim, 2019a).…”

Maternal and Paternal Cognitive Engagement and Children’s Literacy Skills in 25 African Countries

“…Caregivers reported whether mothers and fathers “read books to or looked at picture books with child,” “told stories to child,” and “named, counted, or drew things to or with child” during the past 3 days. In prior work, the internal consistency of the scores of composite measures of parental engagement in play and learning activities (Cronbach’s α = .77; Jeong, McCoy, Yousafzai, Salhi, & Fink, 2016; McCoy et al, 2016) and paternal and maternal cognitive engagement in these activities with children were good (Guttman’s Lambda ranged from .80 to .90; Roopnarine & Dede Yildirim, 2019b). In this study, each item was entered into the models separately, and item-factor reliability estimates were calculated using confirmatory factor analysis (CFA; Raykov, Dimitrov, & Asparouhov, 2010) using single dichotomous item factor indicators.…”