Understanding Parental Educational Involvement: The Roles of Parental General and Child-Specific School Readiness Beliefs.

Abstract

Making a smooth transition to the K-12 (kindergarten through Grade 12) classroom context sets the stage for academic success throughout the life course. Parents' early education-related behaviors are linked with children's adjustment, yet less is known about how parental school readiness beliefs motivate parenting practices at this educational transition. We investigated the associations between parental school readiness beliefs (general and child-specific) following the transition to kindergarten and parents' involvement the following year. Using data from the Early Childhood Longitudinal Study-Kindergarten 2011 cohort (N = 9,790), general school readiness beliefs and child-specific academic and behavioral competency beliefs were associated with school-based involvement in first grade. Kindergarten parents who held higher child-specific academic competency beliefs also reported less homework involvement and had greater teacher-reported classroom-based involvement in first grade. Family poverty status differences did not emerge. Findings can inform efforts to increase parental involvement by elucidating the ways in which parents' beliefs about their children motivate involvement strategies.