“I Tell Them I Know How to Do My ABCs!”

Abstract

AbstractWe examined kindergartners' (N = 160) reports of their conversations with parents about school, including whether parents ask about school, what parents ask about, what children tell them, and whether children want to tell their parents. We also investigated whether school adjustment and achievement were associated with either parent questions or children's interest in talking about school. Most children, more girls than boys, said their parents asked about school and they wanted to talk about school. Parents asked very general questions about school, but children's responses tended to be specific and included academic tasks, nonacademic events, and affective statements. Boys and girls reported they were asked the same types of questions, and, except for talk about home-school activities, gave the same kind of information. Children's reports of whether or not their parents asked about school, and their interest in telling, interacted with sex for school liking, academic behaviors, and reading scores.