Parental perceptions of children's literacy and bilingualism: The case of Ethiopian immigrants in Israel

The present study describes factors affecting the home and school literacy patterns in the Ethiopian immigrant community in Israel. Parents were asked to complete a questionnaire evaluating their child's development, literacy, schooling, and language proficiency (L1 and L2). The results indicate that while non-Ethiopian and Ethiopian parents seek the same future for their child there are significant differences in the means to bridge between home and school literacy patterns. Ethiopian immigrant parents engage in their child's educational and social life until first grade. Once schooling begins, these parents disengage from the child's educational needs and the generational worlds begin to part. Such disengagement is often accompanied by relinquishing the maintenance of the first language, its culture and traditions in favour of a yet inappropriate second language devoid of ethnic or cultural values to be acquired. We contend that mutual respect and interaction between the two literacy traditions could enhance both child's and parent's confidence and well being contributing greatly to literacy enhancement and development.