School readiness needs of Latino preschoolers and their families and prediction of kindergarten success: A focus on contextual variable

The present study investigated the contextual, social, language, and learning factors that influence kindergarten success in Latino preschoolers and their parents. The purposes were to (a) understand the unique aspects of school readiness for this sample, (b) explore the value of attending to contextual variables in the discussion of readiness, and (c) evaluate which factors are the best predictors of children's kindergarten success.;Data were collected on 112 Latino children from schools in a southern California district. These children completed a four-week preschool program focusing on English language and school readiness skills. Teachers used an investigator-developed scale to rate subjects on school readiness domains. Additionally, parents completed an investigator-developed questionnaire about their comfort level accessing educational services, knowledge of these services and desire for additional assistance to help their child at home with education related tasks. Data from the teacher and family questionnaires were used to predict the kindergarten success of these children.;Results indicate that teachers rated their students higher on social emotional development than language development and approaches toward learning. Almost 54% of parents reported that they did not know who could help them find educationally-related services while 9.1% reported feeling uncomfortable going to school and talking to their child's teacher. Predictive analyses indicated that teacher ratings of a child's language development were the most predictive child-focused variable. When family-focused, contextual variables were entered into the analysis, parents' ratings of their comfort level going to their child's school and talking to the teacher was predictive of kindergarten success above and beyond the child-focused variables.;These findings suggest the importance of understanding school readiness as an interaction of the child with the family and school and therefore the benefits of relationships to learning. Relationships that parents and children experience with the school are essential, not only because of their continuing influence on children after they begin school, but also because of the resources they provide to families to allow them to be the best resources for their children. In each case, this positive connection provides young children and their families with some of their best resources for school success.