TY - JOUR
T1 - Ecocultural patterns of family engagement among low-income latino families of preschool children
AU - McWayne, Christine M.
AU - Melzi, Gigliana
AU - Limlingan, Maria Cristina
AU - Schick, Adina
N1 - Publisher Copyright:
© 2016 American Psychological Association.
PY - 2016/7/1
Y1 - 2016/7/1
N2 - For the 5 million low-income Latino children in the United States who are disproportionately impacted by the numerous risk factors associated with poverty, it is essential to identify proximal protective factors that mitigate these risks and bolster the academic and social skills that are foundational to a successful transition into formal schooling. Using ecocultural theory as a lens to guide this work, the present study: (a) described patterns of culture-contextualized family engagement among a low-income, Latino sample, and (b) examined relations between these patterns, family demographic factors, and children's language and social skills in preschool. Across Spanish and English language subsamples, we found evidence that there is heterogeneity in patterns of family engagement within and across language groups, such that different forms of family engagement defined the high engagement profiles in particular. We also found that demographic factors (such as child gender, family structure, and parental education and employment) predicted these patterns differentially across language groups, and that these patterns related to children's social and language skills in meaningful ways. Findings provide directions for future research, theory, and practice with this heterogeneous cultural group.
AB - For the 5 million low-income Latino children in the United States who are disproportionately impacted by the numerous risk factors associated with poverty, it is essential to identify proximal protective factors that mitigate these risks and bolster the academic and social skills that are foundational to a successful transition into formal schooling. Using ecocultural theory as a lens to guide this work, the present study: (a) described patterns of culture-contextualized family engagement among a low-income, Latino sample, and (b) examined relations between these patterns, family demographic factors, and children's language and social skills in preschool. Across Spanish and English language subsamples, we found evidence that there is heterogeneity in patterns of family engagement within and across language groups, such that different forms of family engagement defined the high engagement profiles in particular. We also found that demographic factors (such as child gender, family structure, and parental education and employment) predicted these patterns differentially across language groups, and that these patterns related to children's social and language skills in meaningful ways. Findings provide directions for future research, theory, and practice with this heterogeneous cultural group.
KW - Family engagement
KW - Head start
KW - Latent profile analysis
KW - Latino
KW - Preschool
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U2 - 10.1037/a0040343
DO - 10.1037/a0040343
M3 - Article
C2 - 27253261
AN - SCOPUS:84971452274
SN - 0012-1649
VL - 52
SP - 1088
EP - 1102
JO - Developmental psychology
JF - Developmental psychology
IS - 7
ER -