Martine van der Pluijm

80 Chapter 3 Two types of parental behavior seemed to decrease interaction. One was parental determination to achieve the desired results (e.g., saying the right color, reading the text correctly), limiting their attention to the child’s perspective. We observed less interaction when teachers provided crafting activities or worksheets to teach words or letters instead of talking and playing openly. We observed how parents took over and ended up finishing the worksheet while their child was playing elsewhere in the classroom. The second type of behavior was related to parents with low Dutch language proficiency. Some parents were reluctant to talk or whispered to their child. We observed more interaction when teachers assured parents that they could speak in their preferred language. Parental perceptions after implementation of the fifth design principle We conducted group interviews with 83 parents in the seven classrooms to evaluate parental perceptions. These classrooms had implemented all five design principles. We asked them how the program activities had supported them to focus on their children’s oral language development and asked them to evaluate the compatibility, feasibility, and relevance of the activities. Finally, we asked parents to provide suggestions for further improvement of the prototype. Parents valued the weekly interactive parent-child activities. Most parents agreed that these activities were compatible with their daily activities because they were scheduled on a fixed day and at a suitable time (when parents took the child to school anyway). Only a few parents had scheduling problems due to work but asked other family members to help. All parents agreed that their participation in the parent-child activities helped them to support their child. A parent with a child in grade 1 said: “ It’s a way to support my child so that I’m there for him. It’s like: I’ll come to help you. The teacher gives me this opportunity, and I’m there for you .” Parents reported that the activities were compatible with their role. Another parent reported: “ It helps, being in the classroom. You see what your child does, what the teacher does, and what you can do as a parent. ” The parent-child activities were perceived as feasible due to the brief set-up and the joy they gave to the children. A parent with a child in kindergarten said: “ I’m always in a hurry, but it only takes me fifteen minutes. And when I see how proud my daughter is when we’re in the classroom together …” Parents in each of the seven groups mentioned that the child’s invitation was an important reason to participate in the classroom. A parent with a child in grade 2 reported: “ He wants me to be there. But I don’t speak the language. He says I don’t care; I want you to be there .” Most parents see their participation as relevant for their role as a parent. They mentioned that it showed them how their child was developing and how they could connect to their child at school and at home. A parent with a child at preschool mentioned: “ The teacher shows me what my daughter can do without my help . It’s important for me to see this. Maybe I want to do too much for her, like when she was a baby.” A parent with a child in kindergarten said: “ I use these suggestions. For example, when we walk home, we now talk more about what we see: the bus,