Racial Socialization and the Socioemotional Development of Young Black Children

Parents of Black children often engage in racial socialization in an effort to help children navigate hostile environments as a result of their race/ethnicity. Using a national sample of 2,446 Black children and their parents from the Early Childhood Longitudinal Study (ECLS-K), this study examined whether racial socialization was associated with children’s approaches to learning, interpersonal behavior, and internalizing problem behaviors in kindergarten. Overall, results indicated children whose parents discussed racial heritage, practiced religious coping, and participated in cultural events or traditions associated with their race had significantlly better learning-related and interpersonal behavior and fewer internalizing behavior problems, controlling for child’s sex, and a host of family background, school and neighborhood characteristics.

Objectives

1. To learn about how cultural practices in Black families impact student outcomes.2. To expand the definition of parent involvement in school to include racial socialization.3. To explore definitions and practices of racial socialization

“He’ll Go Out of His Way to Help”: Latino Family Members’ Role in Children’s School Readiness

Research reports that children are better equipped for kindergarten when parents are involved during the transition to kindergarten. With a sample of low-income, Latina mothers of children transitioning to kindergarten, we used qualitative interviews and a resilience framework to explore what other family members are doing to help children (and mothers) get ready for the kindergarten transition. Preliminary findings identified the importance of fathers and older-siblings. These findings add to the limited research on the important role that extended family play, and demonstrates how low-income, Latina mothers actively seek support from available family members in preparing their child for kindergarten.

Objectives

Reflect on one’s personal attitudes and values related to low-income, Latino families and their involvement in their child's education.  Analyze family involvement practices among low-income, Latino families from a resilience perspective. Develop culturally-relevant recommendations/strategies that promote family engagement among low-income, ethnic-racial families with young children.

“Learnin’ Starts at Home”: African American Families Home-Based Involvement Beliefs and Practices

Families play an important role in promoting children’s successful transition to kindergarten. However, researchers have emphasized school-based involvement and report lower-levels of parental involvement for low-income, African American families. We used qualitative interviews and a resilience framework to explore the parent involvement beliefs and practices of low-income, African American mothers of preschoolers. Mothers expressed an ideology of responsibility that supported the prominent role of families in preparing children for kindergarten: These beliefs fueled home-based activities that promoted children’s academic and socio-emotional skills. Our findings add to the limited research on early childhood parental involvement and has implications for home-school collaborations.

Objectives

Analyze parental involvement and home-school relationships among low-income, African American families from a resilience perspective.Reflect on one’s personal attitudes and values related to low-income, African American families and their involvement in their child's education.  Develop culturally-relevant recommendations/strategies that promote home-school partnerships

Parenting Practices and Risk Profiles Among Rural Latino Youth

We examined risk profiles based on internalizing symptoms, externalizing behaviors, and substance use among 198 rural Latino adolescents (Mage = 15.90, SD = 1.47). We examined the association of risk profiles with parental involvement, parental monitoring, and familial ethnic socialization. Four risk profiles emerged from a cluster analysis (i.e., low risk, internalizing risk, externalizing risk, co-occurring risk). Results indicated that adolescents in the internalizing risk profile reported the highest levels of parental involvement, parental monitoring, and familial ethnic socialization. The findings have implications for family-based, culturally informed interventions to encourage positive adjustment among rural Latino adolescents.

Objectives

1. To identify the co-occurance of risk symptoms and behaviors in rural Latino youth. 2. To examine the association between parenting practices and youth risk profiles. 3. To identify points for culturall-informed, family interventions for Latino families with adolescents.