Poster #72 - Capturing the relation between parent educational involvement and student socioemotional difficulties over time

• In Event: 3-159 - Poster Session 12
  In Poster Session: PS 12 Section - Education, Schooling

Integrative Statement

Early childhood socioemotional difficulties are of increasing concern due to their impact on later functioning, particularly in the academic environment. Low-income, minority preschoolers are at increased risk of poor outcomes due to stressors associated with poverty and significant barriers to protective factors, such as parent educational involvement. While the minority of the literature assesses parent educational involvement’s association with socioemotional functioning, there is empirical support for the relation (Fantuzzo, McWayne, Perry, & Childs, 2004; Hoglund, Jones, Brown, & Aber, 2015). However, less information is known about whether and how child socioemotional functioning influences parent educational involvement. This study seeks to longitudinally investigate these associations, evaluating parent educational involvement as a predictor of later child socioemotional difficulties, and socioemotional difficulties as a predictor of later parent educational involvement. Participants were low-income, predominantly Latinx preschoolers (n =69) and their primary caregivers. Regression analyses revealed a significant negative association between baseline home-school conferencing and later child difficulties (ß = -.20, p <.05), after controlling for child age and gender, and initial socioemotional functioning. Additionally, child socioemotional difficulties predicted more home-based involvement (ß = .23, p <.05), after controlling for initial levels of parent educational involvement. Results suggest promoting positive home-school communication may curb later socioemotional concerns and that child functioning may act as an invitation for parents to adjust their educational involvement at home. Cultural considerations and the implications for research and policy are discussed.

Authors

• Samantha Reaves, DePaul University
  Presenting Author

• Cecilia Martinez-Torteya, Universidad de Monterrey
  Non-Presenting Author

• David Kosson, Rosalind Franklin University of Medicine and Science
  Non-Presenting Author