ABSTRACT

Parents are children’s first teachers, and it is critical that they understand what children need to be successful in school. This study examined the school readiness beliefs of 43 Latinx immigrant parents from the Dominican Republic and El Salvador. Parents participated in semi-structured interviews regarding which skills their children should have before starting kindergarten, how they perceived their role in helping children acquire these skills, and how they learned which skills were necessary for success. Research Findings: Social and language skills were the most commonly identified school readiness skills. Approximately half of the parents mentioned math and general knowledge. Less than a third of the parents named self-care skills, motor development, and interest or motivation. Almost all parents in this study described taking an active role in fostering their children’s school readiness skills. Parents typically described getting information through informal channels: either from friends and family or through experiences with older children. Only a few parents mentioned getting information from schools regarding the skills needed for kindergarten. Practice/Policy: Schools and policymakers should explore ways to provide parents with information about school readiness before children reach the age of five.

摘要

父母是孩子的第一任老师，了解孩子在学校取得成功所需的条件至关重要。这项研究调查了来自多米尼加共和国和萨尔瓦多的 43 名拉丁裔移民父母的入学准备信念。家长参加了半结构化访谈，内容涉及他们的孩子在上幼儿园之前应该具备哪些技能，他们如何看待自己在帮助孩子获得这些技能方面的作用，以及他们如何了解哪些技能是成功所必需的。研究成果：社交和语言技能是最常见的入学准备技能。大约一半的父母提到了数学和常识。不到三分之一的父母提到了自理技能、运动发育以及兴趣或动机。几乎所有参与这项研究的父母都表示在培养孩子的入学准备技能方面发挥了积极作用。父母通常描述通过非正式渠道获取信息：无论是从朋友和家人那里，还是通过与年龄较大的孩子的经历。只有少数家长提到从学校获取有关幼儿园所需技能的信息。实践/政策：学校和政策制定者应探索如何在孩子五岁之前向家长提供有关入学准备情况的信息。