Yuko Okado|Karen L. Bierman|Janet A. Welsh
Promoting School Readiness in the Context of Socio-Economic Adversity: Associations with Parental Demoralization and Support for Learning
St. Jude Children's Research Hospital|Pennsylvania State University|Pennsylvania State University
existing research suggests parenting stress demoralization well provision learning activities home significantly affect childs school readiness lowincome families however degree dimensions parenting uniquely influence child school readiness remains unclearthis study tested hypotheses parent demoralization support learning distinct constructs would independently influence child school readiness117 children kindergarten lower literacy language skills parents recruited three northeastern school districts serving primarily lowincome families parents reported depressive symptoms parenting difficulties attitudes behaviors related learning activities frequency parentchild conversation home teachers provided reports childs school readiness indicated classroom behaviors approaches learning emergent language literacy skills factor analysis structural equation modeling used test study hypothesesparent demoralization support learning emerged distinct constructs based factor analysis structural equation models revealed parent demoralization negatively associated child school readiness whereas parent support learning positively associated child school readiness neither parenting construct mediated effects otheramong lowincome families children high risk child school maladjustment parental demoralization support learning opportunities home appear independently influence childs school readiness parentbased interventions targeting child school readiness would likely benefit enhancing parental selfefficacy provision learning activities