Connections between Parental Marital Status, Parental Involvement and Literacy Achievement of Kindergarten Children

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Y

21

Young Children; Kindergarten; Parents; Marital Status; Parent Participation; Literacy; Academic Achievement; Scores; Family Environment; One Parent Family; Reading Achievement

10.1007/s10566-023-09747-8

1053-1890
1573-3319

Background: In today's fast-paced world, the complexity of family relations is growing. This demands a closer look into the effects of parental marital relationships and parents' involvement on children's literacy outcomes. Objective: The study objective was to examine the connections between parental marital status, parental involvement, and kindergarten children's literary outcomes. Method: The study used the nationally representative, Early Childhood Longitudinal Studies Kindergarten Class of 2010-11 dataset and conducted multiple regression methods to identify the connections between parental marital status, parental involvement, and children's literacy scores. A moderation analysis was also conducted to see if parental involvement influenced the relationship between parental marital relationships and children's literacy outcomes. Results: The results showed that the reading scores of the children living with two biological parents were statistically significantly higher than their peers living with single parents and other guardians after taking demographics into account. The results also indicated that parental involvement statistically significantly influenced the association between parents' marital status and children's reading scores. The most nuanced finding was that single parents had enhanced parental involvement compared to two parents. Conclusion: The study challenged a common belief that two parents are always better for children's literacy outcomes. The parents' knowledge base and educational aspirations are equally important as the family structure. The importance of the study lies in its contribution to informing the policy and practice of the nuances of family relations and its interplays with demographics and children's outcomes that would help educators to address the needs of all children and families.

As Provided

2024

EJ1407998