Madelon F. Zady

When Low-SES Parents Cannot Assist Their Children in Solving Science Problems

A perceived inability to address chronic literacy problems is causing increasing scrutiny of preschool and home literacy environments. Prior studies in this series on parent-child interactions have shown that general school achievement and science achievement can be related to certain mediational characteristics used during problem-solving events, with mothers of high achievers typically employing elaborate verbal cues. In this study, mothers of low achievers showed an overdependence on the printed directions while helping their children to complete homework-like science tasks. The dependence feature may be related to limited parental literacy, resulting in mediational constraints that serve as a major mechanism through which the achievement gap is reconstructed in each generation of children from at-risk populations despite their potential competence. Remedial implications are discussed.

The Effects of Parents' Assistance on Middle School Students' Problem Solving and Achievement

In this study the authors tested whether childrens aptitudes in science were advanced in areas in which cognitive supports were generally present, particularly through interaction with more capable individuals. Mothers assisted their 7th-grade children in science activities. Differences in parent-child interaction were hypothesized to account for childrens performance across 3 science tasks that differed in difficulty. A cooperative problem-solving style of interaction was identified through factor analysis. This interaction style was correlated significantly with the childs intellectual performance not only in the science tasks but also in school achievement. Development of science and other aptitudes in the context of activity variables that help bridge home and school cultures are discussed.