摘要
This mixed‐methods study explored the intertwined development of Atayal oral language, emergent reading‐like behaviors, and cultural identity for 28 Indigenous preschoolers (average age 4.11 years) during a year‐long book project. Eight early childhood and Atayal language teachers from two classrooms implemented bilingual books at two levels of difficulty. Each level was used for a semester. Pre‐project, mid‐project and post‐project assessments related to oral language, emergent reading, and cultural identity were conducted; child interviews and observational field notes were collected. Quantitative (i.e., ANOVA with repeated measures, paired sample t‐test, Pearson correlation) and qualitative analyses (i.e., coding of interview transcripts and field notes, identification/counting of reading‐like behaviors) revealed significant improvement for Atayal oral language, emergent reading‐like behaviors, and cultural identity after the first semester. However, further improvement on oral language and reading‐like behaviors was not indicated, perhaps due to dissimilar sentence structures between level one and level two books. While this project enhanced children's attention to print and print concepts, most children continued to rely on picture cues and memory rather than phonetic cues. This study sheds light on developing and implementing materials to sustain Indigenous languages. This study highlights a collaborative initiative with Atayal tribal leaders to co‐develop books at two levels of difficulty that feature recurring and supportive grammatical structures. Across the two levels, some books shared similar sentence structures; others did not. Findings demonstrate that the intervention successfully reinforced the intertwined development of children's Atayal oral language, emergent literacy, and cultural identity. However, progress rates varied among individuals, highlighting the need for tailored pedagogical adjustments. Crucially, books with similar sentence structures across levels provided important scaffolding as children learned to speak and read more complex sentences.