Malaysian mothers’ beliefs in developing emergent literacy through reading

AbstractThis study investigated Malaysian mothers’ beliefs in reading to their preschool children and also their reading beliefs according to maternal education, ethnic background and family socioeconomic status (SES). Both quantitative and qualitative methods were employed in this study. There was a significant correlation (p <.05) between mothers’ education, ethnic background and family SES, and the dimensions of mothers’ beliefs in reading. The findings revealed that most Malaysian mothers viewed reading to their children as a beneficial activity and provided considerable support to help their children become competent readers. The findings also suggest that mothers’ beliefs may impact emergent literacy development