The relationship between parental academic efficacy, parental behaviors, and child outcomes among low-income preschoolers

There is a long history of research supporting the achievement gap among low-income preschoolers and their higher income counterparts. Little is known about what parents do prior to their children's entry into kindergarten, despite several policy initiatives aimed at increasing parental involvement in preschool. Using a Head Start sample, this study examined the relationships between cognitive stimulation, in-school parental involvement, parental academic efficacy, and child reading and math achievement in the year prior to a child's entry into kindergarten. Results indicated that cognitive stimulation is important for reading and math achievement, while in-school parental involvement did not show any relationship with child achievement. Likewise, parental academic efficacy was important for cognitive stimulation, but not in-school parental involvement. Finally, cognitive stimulation mediated the relationship between parental academic efficacy and reading achievement. Implications for further research and for policy initiatives aimed at parents of preschoolers are discussed.