Learning Through Multilingual Grandmother–Grandchild Digital Co-Play in Chinese American Families

Research on children’s digital media use has emphasized how adult–child co-use creates opportunities for shared attention and guided participation during screen-based activity, yet it has largely developed its sense of “high-quality” co-use in monolingual, nuclear-family settings. Far less attention has been given to grandparent-grandchild digital co-play in multilingual immigrant families, where grandparents often play important caregiving and educational roles. Drawing on multimodal interaction analysis of 18 sequences from six Chinese American grandparent-grandchild dyads (grandchildren ages 6–7.8 years) playing a shared digital puzzle game, this study shows that both generations mutually shaped the interaction: they coordinated problem-solving through bilingual speech, gesture, timing, and screen-based action. Specifically, grandmothers often offered verbal guidance and hands-on support, and grandchildren shaped the timing and the forms of the guidance they received. In some families, mothers briefly brokered the exchange, helping sustain grandmother–grandchild interaction across language and generational differences. Together, the findings position multilingual grandparent-grandchild digital co-play as a culturally responsive, family-based learning activity organized through responsive guidance, multimodal participation, and cross-generational support. The study informs family engagement, early childhood educator practice, and the selection of collaborative digital media for multigenerational immigrant homes.