Latina Mothers' School Preparation Activities and Their Relation to Children's Literacy Skills

Few studies have examined the link between children's early school achievement and parents' at-home practices exclusively among Latino groups. This study examined the relation between Latina mothers' reported at-home practices regarding school preparation and their children's literacy skills. Participants included 56 kindergarten children and their mothers from the School Transition Study. Hierarchical regression analyses showed that mothers' practices in the social rather than academic domain were positively associated with children's literacy skills in the spring of kindergarten and that children's classroom engagement partially mediated these relations. Implications for building supportive partnerships among Latino families, teachers, and schools are discussed.