2-074 - Building on Family Strengths to Promote the Academic Development of Young Black and Latino Children

Session Type: Paper Symposium

Integrative Statement

Far too many children, particularly those from low-income, Black and Latino families, struggle to succeed in school. Weaknesses in these children’s traditional academic skills are often evident before they even begin formal schooling. These weaknesses , on average, remain constant or even increase as children proceed through school ( Duncan et al., 2007; Sonnenschein et al., 2010). Much of the literature on this topic focuses on the skills these children or families lack. In contrast, we argue that to improve children’s trajectories, researchers must take a strengths-based perspective and consider how family practices are embedded in a cultural system ( Rogoff, Mistry, Göncü, & Mosier, 1993; Ochs & Schieffelin, 1984). Accordingly, this symposium takes the approach that building upon family and children’s strengths and understanding the barriers that families face in supporting their children’s learning is a more effective approach.

Paper 1 discusses family factors that promote the language and social development of low-income young Latino and Black toddlers. Paper 2 documents the challenges a group of low-income Latino English language learners face as they enter kindergarten, as well as the importance of self-regulations skills as a potential strength to build upon. Paper 3 documents the importance of low-income Black and Brown boys’ social and behavioral skills for their subsequent academic progress. Paper 4 investigates the relation between parenting style of a diverse group of Black families and their preschool children’s writing skills.

Sub Unit

• Education, Schooling

Chairs

• Susan Sonnenschein, UMBC

• Brook Sawyer, Lehigh University

Individual Presentations

• Latino and African American Parental Resources, Investments, and Practices: Supporting Toddler’s Language and Social Skills - Presenting Author: Catherine Kuhns, University of Maryland; Non-Presenting Author: Natasha Cabrera, University of Maryland; Non-Presenting Author: Avery Henninger, University of Maryland, College Park; Non-Presenting Author: Jerry West, University of Maryland, College Park

• Experiences of Young Latino Children and their Families in School Settings - Presenting Author: Guadalupe Diaz, University of California, Irvine; Non-Presenting Author: Megan McClelland, Oregon State University

• Parent- and Preschool-Teacher-Perceived Strengths among Black and Latino Boys: Links to Early Success in Elementary School - Presenting Author: Angelique B. Williams, George Mason University; Non-Presenting Author: Courtney Ricciardi, George Mason University; Non-Presenting Author: Adam Winsler, George Mason University

• Associations among low-income parents’ home literacy practices and children’s writing development - Presenting Author: Gary Bingham, Georgia State University; Non-Presenting Author: Hope Gerde, Michigan State University; Non-Presenting Author: Cynthia Puranik, Georgia State University