Healthy, Supported, and Ready to Learn? A Look at the Relationship Between Early Childhood Health, Parenting Quality, and School Readiness

Abstract

Understanding disparities in school readiness is crucial in determining to reduce the overall inequality gap that currently exists in the United States, because not being ready for school is a barrier toward a student continuing on to a successful educational career and beyond. Previous research on this topic has established a negative relationship between poor health and reduced school readiness, and a positive relationship between high-quality parenting and increased school readiness, among other correlates. Children from low-income families are also at an increased risk of not being prepared for school. However, there is a lack of research looking at how parenting quality affects school readiness for children who are in poor health. This study uses the dataset compiled by Fragile Families and Child Wellbeing Study, which follows a cohort of 4,898 children born between 1998 and 2000, as well as their parents, from 20 randomly selected cities across the United States. The sample oversamples children born to single parent families, which often tend to be low-income. This study aims to look how high-quality parenting affects school readiness outcomes for children who are in poor health. Four measures of poor health (low birth weight, asthma, disability, and poor health (as reported by the mother), and four parenting qualities (maternal stress, sensitivity, stimulation, and the quality home environment) are regressed with school readiness, which is measured by cognitive outcomes (Peabody Picture Vocabulary Test score) and behavioral outcomes (externalizing behavior score on the Child Behavior Checklist). The results of this study provide additional support for the negative relationship between poor health and school readiness, and for the positive relationship between high-quality parenting and school readiness. In addition, the findings indicate that high-quality parenting partially mediates the negative relationship between poor health and school readiness. Furthermore, the results indicate that school readiness is highly correlated with socio demographic characteristics, including maternal education and immigration status, the relationship of the child’s parents, and socioeconomic status. This study indicates that high-quality parenting can be a protective factor for children in poor health, and that low-income children in poor health are at an increased risk for poor school readiness outcomes. The thesis concludes by applying these findings to the Early Head Start program, by suggesting that targeting additional services toward children in poor health and their parents may improve the overall efficacy of the program.