Parental Beliefs About School Readiness, Home and School-Based Involvement, and Children’s Academic Achievement

Abstract

ABSTRACTThe current study uses nationally representative data drawn from the Early Childhood Longitudinal Study–Birth Cohort (ECLS-B) to estimate a structural equation model that examines the associations among parents’ academic and behavior-oriented school readiness beliefs, home- and school-based parental involvement, and children’s academic achievement during the transition to kindergarten, while examining variation in parents’ beliefs and involvement by socioeconomic status and race/ethnicity. Findings indicate that parents who place more importance on behavioral skills and attributes engage in more home-based parental involvement activities during preschool, which, in turn, positively predicts children’s reading and mathematics achievement at kindergarten entry. Findings also indicate that Black and Hispanic parents place more importance on behavioral attributes in comparison to White parents, holding socioeconomic status constant. These findings have practical implications for educators and policymakers who aim to enhance home–school partnerships and parent education programs that intend to maximize parental involvement during early childhood.