Objective: Grounded in Hoover-Dempsey and Sandler's theoretical model of parents' motivations for involvement in their children's education, the aim of this study was to examine the associations between Latino parents' perceptions of involvement and the home literacy environment, as well as children's oral reading fluency (ORF). We further considered salient contextual factors (i.e., educational attainment, income status, and parent reading proficiency) that may impact parents' perceptions of involvement. Method: The sample included 730 young Latino children (M age ϭ 6.47, SD ϭ 1.13; 49.9% male) and their caregivers attending summer camps that participated in a summer reading intervention program. Prior to intervention delivery, parents completed questionnaires regarding general family demography, parent perceptions of involvement, and the home literacy environment. Standardized curriculum-based measures of children's ORF were conducted by trained research staff. Results: Results indicated that Latino parents' perceptions of involvement were associated with children's ORF and aspects of their home literacy involvement, even when accounting for parents' income, education level and self-reported reading proficiency. Regarding income status, families from higher income backgrounds perceived having more time and energy, and were more involved, as compared to families from lower income backgrounds. Conclusions: Findings from this study suggest that Latino parents' perceptions not only influence their home literacy involvement, but also their young children's ORF, even when accounting for contextual factors. Implications for practice and future directions are discussed.
Impact and ImplicationsThe present study furthers our understanding about the importance of Latino parents' beliefs about their children's education and how that relates to their home literacy involvement and children's oral reading fluency. Additionally, this study indicates that Latino parents' beliefs may buffer the negative effects of contextual factors (i.e., income, education level, reading proficiency) related to Latino parents becoming involved. This study provides school personnel, including school psychologists, counselors, administrators, and teachers, with unique insight into how Latino parents view their role in their child's education, to better construct engagement efforts tailored for Latino families.
