Poster #37 - Preschool Teachers' Outreach Efforts and Children's Academic Achievement: The Mediating Role of Parental Involvement

• In Event: 64.090 - MTCC Poster Session 15
  In Poster Session: 64.090-6 - Family, School, Community Partnerships SIG Poster Session

Abstract

The present study draws upon the theory of parental involvement proposed by Hoover-Dempsey et al., (2005), which suggests educators’ invitations for involvement shape parental involvement, which in turn, influences children’s outcomes. Using data from the Early Childhood Longitudinal Study – Birth cohort (N ≈ 4,100) a structural equation model was estimated to examine the relationship among preschool teachers’ outreach efforts, parental involvement, and children’s reading achievement during the transition to elementary school. Results indicate that parent’s perceptions of preschool teachers’ outreach efforts are positively associated with home-based parental involvement, which in turn, is positively associated with children’s reading achievement in kindergarten. These findings have important practical implications for educators who aim to encourage parental involvement that supports children’s early literacy development.

Author

• Jaime Lynn Puccioni, University at Albany - SUNY