Qualitative research investigated five Chinese immigrate parents' expectations of young children's learning in early childhood centres in New Zealand. The findings show that the parents expected their children to learn social and self-care skills, languages, and to widen knowledge from diverse cultures.

1. Chinese parents’ expectations of children’s learning in early childcare centre June 2011 by Xiaoyu Lu

2. Introduction These summarized findings stemmed from semi-structured interviews with five Chinese immigrate parents of young children in New Zealand. The parents in this study were recruited from two privately owned childcare centre in October 2009. Their children were aged between one and a half years to four years and eleven months.

3. Social skills and self-help abilities The five Chinese parents emphasized that social skills and self-care abilities were the most important aspects of core-learning during childhood period. The social skills include interaction with, positive relationships with other young children, being bright and extrovert.

4. Social skills and self-help abilities The self-help abilities cover self-toileting, self-washing hands, and self-eating meals, caring about things and places. The parents believed that childcare centre could help their children to develop such skills and abilities.

5. Cognitive and Language learning The parents responded differently to their young children acquiring knowledge in the childcare centres. Some parents in this study preferred their children to learn basic knowledge and English language.

6. Cognitive and Language learning Some parents did not have a “specific expectation” in regard to what children should learn, and wanted their children to have freedom and relaxed childhood. Some parents expressed their opinions about children’s learning should focus on how to using brain and learn from a wider range of things.

7. Multicultural integration These Chinese parents expected their children to experience different cultures in the childcare centres. They wanted their children to learn other kinds of minorities’ languages, to make friends with children who have different ethnic backgrounds.

8. Multicultural integration Some parents expected their children to experience different cultures, and believed it would widen their children’s learning world. These Chinese parents also wanted their children to maintain their home languages and cultural values.