Variations in Latino Parenting Practices and Their Effects on Child Cognitive Developmental Outcomes

Abstract

This research examines variations in parenting and its effects on child cognitive outcomes across Latino subgroups from a national sampling that utilized a subset of 995 former Head Start Latino parents and children. Comparisons of the Parenting Dimension Inventory scaled scores revealed Latino subgroup differences on nurturance and consistency. Puerto Rican parental caregivers scored higher on nurturance and consistency than Mexican Americans and El Salvadorans. Pearson’s product-moment correlation revealed a positive relationship between responsiveness to child inputs and higher academic achievement scores for each Latino subgroup. Examination of the Woodcock-Johnson Test of Achievement also revealed a main effect of Latino subgroup differences. Findings suggest that there exist intracultural variations in parenting and academic achievement within the Latino population and confirm previous findings that parenting is related to positive child cognitive outcomes.

Predicting Academic Achievement from Cumulative Home Risk: The Mediating Roles of Effortful Control, Academic Relationships, and School Avoidance

“…Brooks-Gunn, Rouse, and McLanahan (2007) noted that research identifying how attention and self-control contribute to achievement gaps across ethnicities is necessary. Characteristics of the home environment influence achievement cross-ethnically and cross-culturally (Assadi et al, 2007) and in specific investigations of Latino-subgroup samples (e.g., El Savadoran, Mexican American, and Puerto Rican participants; De Von Figueroa-Moseley, Ramey, Keltner, & Lanzi, 2006). Although meanlevel differences in achievement exist, predictors of and processes leading to achievement are likely to be similar across groups (Blair & Razza, 2007;Crosnoe, 2006;Valiente et al, 2008).…”

Linking Socioeconomic Status to the Academic Achievement of Mexican American Youth Through Parent Involvement in Education

“…Because early behaviorial problems are likely to impact academic achievement by the time youth enter high school (Hill et al, 2004) both family stress and parental investment may affect youth's academic outcomes. In addition, effects of parental involvement differ among racial/ethnic groups (Hill et al, 2004), as well as across Latino nationalities (Figueroa-Moseley, Ramey, Keltner, & Lanzi, 2006); therefore, it is important to examine these processes within racial/ethnic groups rather than across multiple groups as was done in the studies cited above. In sum, it is not clear whether the dominant influence of parent investment on cognitive outcomes will hold for adolescent achievement and for Mexican American families.…”

Perceived parenting and social support: can they predict academic achievement in Argentinean college students?

“…When trying to explain how parenting is related to students’ performance, two main approaches come out 13–15. The first one states that responsive parenting practices contribute to creating a stimulating, supportive, and healthy environment that enhances achievement in their children.…”