The aim of this article was to explore the everyday activities of young children from low-income Central American (CA) immigrant families. From the perspective that everyday activities propel children's development of culturally and contextually valued behaviours and skills, 48 mothers were interviewed regarding the activities that are available to their children. Activities common to all children included personal care, mealtimes, play, and television watching. Large subsets of children were also involved in pre-academics, household chores, and conversations with adults. Special weekend activities included 'going out', visiting friends/family, and religious activity. The possible implications of these activities for CA preschoolers' development and for their transitions from the home to the school setting are discussed. The article concludes with suggestions for ways that educators can embed these everyday activities into classroom curricula and parent involvement programmes in order to capitalise on the strengths of CA children and their families. © 2012 Taylor & Francis.

Early childhood Central American immigrants Low-income families Home activities

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