School readiness among low-income black children: family characteristics, parenting, and social support

Abstract

This study focuses on the associations between family variables and academic and social school readiness in low-income Black children. Analyses drew from the National Institute for Child Development (NICHD) Study of Early Child Care and Youth Development dataset. The participants included 122 children and their mothers. Data collection occurred when the children were 1, 6, 15, 24, 36, and 54 months old. Findings indicated that maternal sensitivity and the quality of the home environment predicted cognitive and language outcomes, whereas maternal depression and social support predicted social–behavioural outcomes. In addition, the impact of family resources on cognitive and language outcomes was fully mediated by parenting behaviours and the impact of social support on behaviour problems was fully mediated through maternal depression. Implications for family intervention are discussed.

Keywords:

• parenting
• black families
• cognitive and language outcomes
• social and behavioural outcomes
• school readiness

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the authors.

Notes on contributors

Katherine Bono earned her Ph.D. in applied developmental psychology from Claremont Graduate University in 2002. After finishing her Ph.D., Dr Bono was Research Director at the University of Miami's Linda Ray Intervention Center for At-Risk Children and Families before becoming a faculty member at California State University in the fall of 2006. Dr Bono's teaching and research is focused on the influences of parenting, intervention, and child abilities on developmental outcomes in normative and at-risk populations.

Sue Sy earned her Ph.D. in Developmental Psychology at the University of Michigan in 2002. After finishing her degree, she held a position as a tenure-track faculty member of the Psychology Department at Mount St. Mary's College for three years before coming to California State University Fullerton in Fall 2005. Dr Sy's research is focused on the influence of family and culture on children's educational transitions.

Claire Kopp is a developmental psychologist who has focused her research on early child development, self-regulation, and emotion regulation. Dr Kopp has been a professor at Claremont Graduate University and was also an adjunct professor at UCLA for more than 20 years.