Associations among Family Environment, Attention, and School Readiness for At-Risk Children

Rachel Razza, Anne Martin and Jeanne Brooks-Gunn
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Rachel Razza: Syracuse University
Anne Martin: Columbia University
Jeanne Brooks-Gunn: Columbia University

No 1172, Working Papers from Princeton University, School of Public and International Affairs, Center for Research on Child Wellbeing.

Abstract: This study examined the developmental pathways from children?s family environment to school readiness within an at-risk sample (N = 1,701). Measures of the family environment (maternal parenting behaviors and maternal mental health) across early childhood were related to children?s observed sustained attention as well as to academic and behavioral outcomes at age 5 years. Results suggest specificity in the associations among attention and its correlates. Maternal parenting behaviors but not mental health explained individual differences in sustained attention, which in turn were associated with variability in children?s academic school readiness. Mediation tests confirmed that sustained attention partially accounted for the link between parenting behaviors and academic school readiness. While maternal mental health was associated with children?s behavioral school readiness, sustained attention did not play a mediating role. Findings indicate sustained attention as a potential target for efforts aimed at enhancing academic school readiness among predominantly poor and minority children.

Keywords: child development; educational success; parenting behaviors; school readiness; mental health (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: I12 I21 I32 J12 J13 O51 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2009-06
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