Family Support and Gains in School Readiness: A Longitudinal Study

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Bibliographic Details
Title: Family Support and Gains in School Readiness: A Longitudinal Study
Language: English
Authors: Hughes, Claire, White, Naomi, Foley, Sarah, Devine, Rory T. (ORCID 0000-0002-3710-7878)
Source: British Journal of Educational Psychology. Jun 2018 88(2):284-299.
Availability: Wiley-Blackwell. 350 Main Street, Malden, MA 02148. Tel: 800-835-6770; Tel: 781-388-8598; Fax: 781-388-8232; e-mail: cs-journals@wiley.com; Web site: http://www.wiley.com/WileyCDA
Peer Reviewed: Y
Page Count: 16
Publication Date: 2018
Document Type: Journal Articles
Reports - Research
Descriptors: Family Involvement, School Readiness, Longitudinal Studies, Questionnaires, Young Children, Child Behavior, Language Skills, Daily Living Skills, Regression (Statistics), Family Income, Family Environment, Foreign Countries
Geographic Terms: United Kingdom (England)
DOI: 10.1111/bjep.12188
ISSN: 0007-0998
Abstract: Background: Traditional measures of school readiness are labour-intensive and do not assess family support. Aims: The current study used the newly developed Brief Early Skills and Support Index (BESSI: Hughes, Daly, Foley, White and Devine 2015) to examine 6-month longitudinal stability and change in teachers' ratings of young children's school readiness and investigate the role of family support as a predictor of school readiness. Sample: Five hundred and seventy-eight children (270 boys; 74.2% White British) were included at Time 1 aged 2.58-5.84 years (M[subscript age] = 3.98 years, SD = 0.66). Method: Teachers and nursery workers completed BESSI questionnaires for each participant on two occasions separated by 6 months. Results: The four latent factors of the BESSI (i.e., Behavioural Adjustment, Language and Cognition, Daily Living Skills and Family Support) exhibited longitudinal measurement invariance and individual differences in ratings on each factor showed strong stability over time. BESSI ratings were also sensitive to improvements over time. Auto-regressive models showed that family support and family income (as measured by eligibility for pupil premium support) at Time 1 each uniquely predicted child outcomes at Time 2. Conclusions: These findings highlight the importance of family contexts for children's school readiness.
Abstractor: As Provided
Entry Date: 2018
Accession Number: EJ1178945
Database: ERIC
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Abstract:Background: Traditional measures of school readiness are labour-intensive and do not assess family support. Aims: The current study used the newly developed Brief Early Skills and Support Index (BESSI: Hughes, Daly, Foley, White and Devine 2015) to examine 6-month longitudinal stability and change in teachers' ratings of young children's school readiness and investigate the role of family support as a predictor of school readiness. Sample: Five hundred and seventy-eight children (270 boys; 74.2% White British) were included at Time 1 aged 2.58-5.84 years (M[subscript age] = 3.98 years, SD = 0.66). Method: Teachers and nursery workers completed BESSI questionnaires for each participant on two occasions separated by 6 months. Results: The four latent factors of the BESSI (i.e., Behavioural Adjustment, Language and Cognition, Daily Living Skills and Family Support) exhibited longitudinal measurement invariance and individual differences in ratings on each factor showed strong stability over time. BESSI ratings were also sensitive to improvements over time. Auto-regressive models showed that family support and family income (as measured by eligibility for pupil premium support) at Time 1 each uniquely predicted child outcomes at Time 2. Conclusions: These findings highlight the importance of family contexts for children's school readiness.
ISSN:0007-0998
DOI:10.1111/bjep.12188