Understanding the Relation Between Family Engagement in Education and Preschoolers’ Socioemotional and Behavioral Functioning in a Primarily Latinx Sample

Abstract

Limited literature assessed the relation between family engagement in education and young children’s socioemotional and behavioral functioning. This study investigated these associations longitudinally among urban and low-income, predominantly Latinx preschoolers ( n = 69) and their mothers. Initial home-school conferencing predicted lower levels of child socioemotional and behavioral difficulties about 8 months later (β = −.20, p < .05). Additionally, initial child socioemotional and behavioral difficulties predicted higher levels of later home-based involvement (β = .23, p < .05). Results highlighted bidirectional associations between these constructs and suggested potential avenues to enhance family engagement in education and reduce child socioemotional and behavioral problems.