April 15: Margaret Bridges, Institute of Human Development

Watching Scooby Doo and Making Tortillas: The Daily Activities of Mexican-American Preschool Children

In response to Social and Ecocultural theories about why some young children of color lag behind their peers in school, Dr. Bridges will present her research on the everyday activities of 25 young Mexican-American children. Specifically, she will report on the six most frequently observed activities in terms of their reproduction of heritage culture, language, symbols, and knowledge; their cognitive demands; and how they varied across families. She will use these findings to explain, in part, why some Latino children may differentially engage in the activity structures present in U.S. classrooms.