Mothers’ School Readiness Beliefs and Literacy Involvement and Children’s Academic Outcomes in Ethnic Minority Families

ABSTRACT

This research tested a mediation model, examining whether individual differences in mothers’ school readiness beliefs influenced home literacy practices and children’s later academic achievement among African American (n = 114) and primarily Mexican origin Latina mothers (n = 164) and their children. Mothers of children ages 3–4 years reported school readiness beliefs and home literacy practices. Later (ages 6–7 years), reading and math achievement scores were measured using the Woodcock-Johnson Revised (WJR) or the Batería Woodcock-Muñoz, as appropriate, depending upon the child’s primary language. Research Findings: Results showed that African American and Latina mothers differed in their beliefs about school readiness skills, with African American mothers more likely to emphasize general pre-academic knowledge and Latina mothers more likely to emphasize social-focused readiness skills. Academic-focused readiness beliefs predicted mothers’ engagement in home literacy practices, social-focused readiness beliefs predicted math achievement, and home literacy practices mediated the association between academic-focused readiness beliefs and math achievement. Policy or Practice: Findings suggest that interventions to enhance school readiness should consider ethnic minority parents’ expectations and at-home practices, particularly during children’s early childhood.

Acknowledgments

We would also like to thank the many research assistants and families without whom this work would not have been possible.

Disclosure Statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).

Data Availability Statement

The data supporting this study’s findings are available upon request from the corresponding author, [email protected], D.Y.B. The data are not publicly available due to their containing information that may compromise the privacy of study participants.

Additional information

Funding

This research was supported by grants from the Eunice K. Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Development 1R01HD058643 and 1R01HD075311.