Academic socialization and the transition to kindergarten: Parental beliefs about school readiness and involvement

Abstract

AbstractThe current study examines associations among parents' school readiness beliefs, home‐based involvement, and measures of school readiness using data from the Early Childhood Longitudinal Study, Kindergarten Class of 2010–2011 (N = 13,999). A structural equation model was estimated, and results show that parents' school readiness beliefs and home‐based involvement practices were positively associated with children's academic achievement and socio‐emotional competencies. In addition, parents' school readiness beliefs were positively related to their home‐based involvement practices. In other words, parents who placed more importance on school readiness engaged in more home‐based involvement practices and had children with higher levels of academic achievement and socio‐emotional competencies. Results also showed that parents' school readiness beliefs were more strongly related to academic achievement in comparison to socio‐emotional competencies. Findings also demonstrated variation in parents' school readiness beliefs and involvement by race/ethnicity and socio‐economic status. Overall, findings suggest that efforts to encourage and support parental involvement should pay attention to parents' school readiness beliefs and home‐based involvement practices.Highlights This paper describes the relationship among parents' school readiness beliefs, home‐based involvement, and children's academic achievement and socio‐emotional competencies. Structural equation modelling revealed school readiness beliefs were positively related to home‐based involvement, which in turn was positively associated with children's academic achievement and socio‐emotional competencies. Parents' school readiness beliefs are an important target for enhancing children's academic achievement and socio‐emotional competencies during the transition to kindergarten.