Iheoma U. Iruka

The effects of socioeconomic status, race, and parenting on language development in early childhood.

The authors examined the associations between socioeconomic status (SES), race, maternal sensitivity, and maternal negative-intrusive behaviors and language development in a sample selected to reduce the typical confound between race and SES (n = 146). Mother-child interactions were observed at 12 and 24 months (coded by randomly assigned African American and European American coders); language abilities were assessed at 18, 24, 30, and 36 months. For receptive language, race was associated with ability level, and maternal sensitivity and negative-intrusive parenting were related to rate of growth. For expressive communication, race, SES, and maternal sensitivity were associated with rate of growth; race moderated the association between negative-intrusive parenting and rate of growth such that the relation was weaker for African American than for European American children. The results highlight the importance of sensitive parenting and suggest that the association between negative-intrusive parenting and language development may depend upon family context. Future work is needed concerning the race differences found, including examining associations with other demographic factors and variations in language input experienced by children, using culturally and racially validated indices of language development.

Examining the validity of the family investment and stress models and relationship to children's school readiness across five cultural groups.

Using the Early Childhood Longitudinal Study, Birth Cohort (ECLS-B) dataset, this study examined whether the family investment and the family stress models generalized to non-European American (EA) families. Specifically, we examined whether parenting processes mediated the association between family demographics and childrens school readiness, and whether the pathways vary across cultural groups. Both models were most salient for EAs followed by African Americans (AAs) and Spanish-speaking Hispanics, but less so for English-speaking Hispanics (EHs) and Asian Americans. Findings indicated that sensitive parenting was a salient mediator between family demographics and childrens school readiness for all groups except EHs; negative parenting and parent-child activities were salient mediators for EAs only.

Ethnic Variation in the Association Between Family Structures and Practices on Child Outcomes at 36 Months: Results From Early Head Start

Research Findings: This study analyzed data from the Early Head Start Research and Evaluation Study (EHSRES) to examine whether the association between family structural characteristics (maternal education, number of parents, employment status, and number of children), parenting practices (sensitive and negative parenting, cognitively stimulating home environment, authoritarian parenting), and childrens outcomes (receptive language, cognitive development, and problem behaviors) differ across ethnicity. A sample of 2,777 low-income families included 39% European Americans/Whites, 36% African Americans, and 25% Hispanics. Results indicated ethnic differences in some family structural characteristics, parenting practices, and child outcomes. With the exception of employment status, there was limited evidence that ethnic differences in family structural characteristics were related to differences in child outcomes. Though there were also ethnic differences in parenting practices, there was no evidence that ethnicity moderated the relation between parenting practices and childrens language, cognitive, and behavioral outcomes at 36 months. Practice or Policy: The implication of this study is the need to foster and focus on positive parenting practices, rather than negatives ones, because of their importance to childrens language, cognitive development, and behavior management. Ethnic differences may matter, but they may not in the face of other stressors such as economic fears, job instability, health concerns, and neighborhood safety.

Oral Narrative Skills: Explaining the Language-Emergent Literacy Link by Race/Ethnicity and SES

Although childrens early language skills have been found to predict literacy outcomes, little is known about the role of preschool oral narrative skills in the pathway between language and emergent literacy or how these associations differ by race/ethnicity and socioeconomic status. The current study uses the Early Childhood Longitudinal Study to explore how language at age 2 is associated with narrative skills at age 4 and emergent literacy outcomes at age 5 for a nationally representative sample of children. Findings demonstrate that early language is associated with narrative skills for most children. Oral narrative skills were found to mediate the pathway between early language and kindergarten emergent literacy for poor and nonpoor African American children. Implications for childrens literacy development and future research are discussed.

Long-Term Effect of Early Relationships for African American Children’s Academic and Social Development: An Examination From Kindergarten to Fifth Grade

This study investigates the extent to which the quality of the relationships between African American children and their mothers and teachers in kindergarten predict academic and social development during elementary school years using the National Institute of Child Health and Human Development Study of Early Child Care and Youth Development. The role of prior center care and the ethnicity of the kindergarten teacher were also examined as moderators. Hierarchical linear modeling indicated that a close relationship with mothers during kindergarten predicted children’s academic skill on standardized achievement tests and mother-rated social skills, whereas a close relationship with the kindergarten teachers predicted mother- and teacher-rated social skills and teacher-rated behavior problems. Teacher ethnicity moderated the association between conflict with the kindergarten teacher and subsequent behavior problems. The possible implications of these findings for African American children’s academic and social success are discussed.

Ethnic Variations of Pathways Linking Socioeconomic Status, Parenting, and Preacademic Skills in a Nationally Representative Sample

Research Findings: Grounded in the investment model and informed by the integrative theory of the study of minority children, this study used the Early Childhood Longitudinal Study–Birth Cohort data set, a nationally representative sample of young children, to investigate whether the association between socioeconomic status (family income and maternal education) and childrens preacademic skills (receptive language, expressive language, literacy, numeracy skills) as mediated by parenting (learning materials, language stimulation, and outside activities) varies across Euro-American, African American, Hispanic, and Asian children. Results indicated that in general, language stimulation and outside activities were the most consistent mediators for Euro-Americans, learning materials was the most consistent mediator for African Americans, learning materials and language stimulation were the most consistent mediators for Hispanics, and learning materials and outside activities were the most consistent mediators for Asians. Practice or Policy: These findings suggest that how certain parenting behaviors are interpreted may vary by cultural context and thus how such parenting behaviors mediate the associations between socioeconomic status and preacademic skills outcomes may vary by cultural group as well. Thus, these findings have important implications for both future research and public policy. These results add to the growing literature demonstrating the necessity to consider parenting through the perspective of the majority culture not only when conducting research but also when providing programs for families from a variety of cultural backgrounds.

Development of Social‐Emotional Competence in Boys of Color: A Cross‐Sectional Cohort Analysis from Pre‐K to Second Grade

This article explores the development of psychosocial competence in boys of color (BOC; 226 African Americans and 109 Latinos). Changes in competence were assessed over 2 years in cohorts of low-income BOC beginning in pre-K, kindergarten, or first grade. Psycho-social competence was assessed in terms of self-regulation, interpersonal skills, and positive relationships with peers and teachers. Psycho-social and academic competence in literacy and math were assessed in prekindergarten through second grade using teacher reports, child reports, and normed measures. One-year follow-up data were available on measures of psycho-social competence. BOC evidenced high levels of psycho-social competence, especially on self-regulation, which was related to both math and reading achievement. Teachers and children held similarly favorable views of their relationships, but teacher ratings of peer relationships of BOC were less positive. Although emotional self-regulation was stable, declines were observed in self-regulation of attention, quality of peer relationships, teacher-rated closeness, and satisfaction with life at school, especially over the transition from pre-K to primary school.

Maternal Self-Efficacy: Does It Explain School Involvement?.

ABSTRACT Using a predominantly African American Head Start sample, this study examined whether maternal self-efficacy moderated the relationships between parent involvement (comfort and endorsement of school, school-based involvement, and parent-teacher contact) and childrens academic readiness, approaches to learning, and socioemotional development. Mothers rated themselves as highly efficacious, whereas teachers rated mothers as low in their involvement in their childrens learning. Regression analyses indicated that children benefited when their highly efficacious mothers were highly involved in school events, whereas when less efficacious mothers were less involved in the school setting, their children were rated as more advanced in their school readiness skills. The findings from this study provide evidence of the importance of self-efficacy and involvement in childrens school readiness. In addition, the results emphasize the need to examine activities occurring in the home when mothers may not be ...

High Achieving African American Boys: Factors that Contribute to their Excellence in the Early Years

Abstract Using a national data set from the Early Childhood Longitudinal Study – Birth Cohort, we examined factors associated with approximately 700 young African American boys’ pre-academic skills. The factors examined included (a) family characteristics, behaviors, and beliefs; (b) nonparental care literacy activities; and (c) child health, aggression, and approaches to learning (e.g., curiosity, independence, and persistence). High achieving boys are contrasted with other boys, along the following dimensions: familial, early childhood program, child characteristics and practices and their pre-academic skills, and whether the association was moderated by achievement status. Regression analyses indicated that some aspects of family, preschool, and child characteristics were associated with African American boys’ early outcomes, especially parental caretaking (e.g., bathing and brushing teeth) and approaches to learning (e.g., persistence and attention). Recommendations for educational practices and policies were offered.

Links Between Patterns of Quality in Diverse Settings and Children’s Early Outcomes

Patterns of quality among approximately 1,400 center classrooms and 350 family child care homes based on measures of global quality, sensitive caregiving, and frequency of language/literacy and math/numeracy activities were examined. Four patterns of quality were identified. Provider education was predictive of higher quality care in both centers and family child care home arrangements. Associations between quality patterns and children’s preschool and kindergarten academic skills were found among children in family child care homes only. Policy and practice implications related to the varying patterns of quality are discussed.