Cognitive development and parenting during early childhood among Mapuche and non-indigenous Chileans

The current article studies the differences in cognitive development between Mapuche preschoolers and non-Indigenous preschoolers in Chile. The Mapuches comprise the main Indigenous group in Chile and a socioeconomically vulnerable group. We studied the differences in cognitive development between these two groups, focusing on the role of the families' socioeconomic resources and the parental behaviors. We use data from the 2012 Encuesta Longitudinal de Primera Infancia, a nationally representative survey of early childhood (0-6 years old) in Chile, which includes a test of cognitive development validated for Mapuche preschoolers. Our results indicate that the cognitive gap between Mapuche children and non Indigenous children in Chile starts before they enter primary school (SD = 0.2, p < 0.001), which coincides with the lower limit of the gap found in previous studies during school years. In linear models of cognitive development, socioeconomic resources, and parental behaviors account for part of the gap between Mapuche children and non-Indigenous children, but not for all of it. We also find a positive interaction between a Mapuche origin and home learning materials, which indicates that Mapuche children benefit from a rich learning environment at home more intensively than do non-Indigenous Chilean children. (c) 2020 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Automated summary

The study found cognitive development differences between Mapuche preschoolers and non-Indigenous preschoolers in Chile, with the gap starting before they enter primary school. Socioeconomic resources and parental behaviors account for part of the gap, but not all of it. Mapuche children benefit more intensively from a rich learning environment at home compared to non-Indigenous Chilean children.