Everyday Instruction: A Comparison of Mexican American and Anglo Mothers and Their Preschool Children

Building on previous research, this study examines the teaching behaviors of Mexican American and Anglo mothers using an "everyday task." The study focuses on two questions: What are the differences in the teaching behaviors of Mexican American and Anglo mothers? How do these maternal teaching behaviors relate to their children's perfonnance? The sample consisted of 36 mother-child dyads, 17 Mexican American and 19Anglo American. The children 's mean ages were 53.4 months (SD = 6.8 months). The results of the study demonstrate that not only are Mexican American mothers effective instructors of their children, their teaching behavior differs significantly from theirAnglo counterparts. Specifically, contrary to previous research, Mexican American mothers were found to use less "controlling" and nonverbal teaching behaviors (i.e., commands, corrections, physical control, and modeling) when instructing their children. The two groups also differed with respect to the association between maternal teaching behaviors and children's performance.