Differential Associations among Transition Practices, Parental Perceptions, Involvement, and School Readiness for Children from Economically Disadvantaged Backgrounds

• In Event: Relations between parent and teacher factors and children’s school readiness skills

Abstract

Preschool teachers can help support families and children successfully transition to kindergarten by utilizing transition practices that support parental involvement and create smooth linkages between early care settings and formal schooling (Pianta, Cox, & Snow, 2007; Pianta, Cox, Taylor, & Early, 1999). The most common transition practices include sending information about kindergarten home to parents and having an orientation, while the least frequent activities include having preschool age children spend time in the kindergarten classroom and conducting home visit (Cook & Coley, 2017; Little, Cohen-Vogel, & Curran, 2016). Hoover-Dempsey et al., (2005) suggest that parents’ perceptions of educators’ invitations for involvement also have the potential to shape parental involvement, which in turn influences children’s outcomes. In fact, current research has shown that parents’ perceptions of preschool teachers’ invitations for involvement are positively associated with home-based parental involvement, which in turn was predictive of school readiness measures (Puccioni, Froiland, & Moeyaert, 2020).
The family stress model posits that economic adversity limits positive parenting through increased stress and poor psychological well-being (Conger & Dogan, 2007). From this perspective, parents with fewer economic resources may not be able to provide their children with learning and school-related educational opportunities. Yet, preschool teachers’ transition practices and invitations for involvement may serve as a type of protective factor for families and children experiencing economic hardship. The goal of the present study is to determine if children from economically disadvantaged families benefit more from preschool teachers’ outreach efforts and positive perceptions of invitations for involvement.
Using nationally representative data from the Early Childhood Longitudinal Study – Birth cohort (N ≈ 3,100) a multi-group structural equation model was estimated to examine the differential relations among preschool teachers’ transition practices, parents’ perceptions of invitations for involvement, parental involvement, and measures of school readiness during the transition to kindergarten for children from economically disadvantaged homes. Findings indicate that for children not experiencing poverty, their parent’s perceptions of invitations for involvement were positively associated with home and school-based involvement and home-based involvement was positively associated with their academic achievement and prosocial behaviors at the start of kindergarten. For children from economically disadvantaged backgrounds, their parents’ perceptions of invitations for involvement were also positively associated with home and school-based involvement, however, the associations between parental involvement and measures of school readiness varied. Children from economically disadvantaged backgrounds whose parents held more positive perceptions of preschool teachers’ invitations for involvement had fewer conduct problems and less hyperactive behaviors at the beginning of kindergarten. In addition, children whose families were experiencing poverty and engaged in more school-based involvement activities had higher levels of beginning academic achievement in kindergarten These findings suggest that children from economically disadvantaged backgrounds experience more positive school readiness related outcomes when their parents have more positive perceptions about preschool teachers’ invitations for involvement. Results from this study have important policy and practical implications for educators who aim to encourage parental involvement that supports children’s transition to elementary school, particularly for children from disadvantaged backgrounds.

Authors

• Jaime Puccioni, State University of New York at Albany (SUNY Albany)
  Presenting Author

• John Mark Froiland, Purdue University, West Lafayette
  Non-Presenting Author

• Mariola Moeyaert, University at Albany
  Non-Presenting Author