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Head Start Parents' Beliefs about Their Children's Abilities, Task Values, and Performances on Different Activities
Alice Galper1, Allan Wigfield1, Carol Seefeldt1
1Institute for Child Study, College of Education, 3304 Benjamin Building, University of Maryland, College Park, MD 20742-1131The University of Maryland.
Child Development
|November 7, 2017
Summary
Parents are optimistic about their children's future, with beliefs about abilities varying by ethnicity. Parental views influenced children's school attitudes and academic performance.
Area of Science:
- Child Development
- Educational Psychology
- Sociology of Education
Background:
- Head Start programs aim to ease children's transition to kindergarten.
- Parental beliefs significantly shape children's academic and social trajectories.
- Understanding these beliefs is crucial for effective early childhood interventions.
Purpose of the Study:
- To assess parents' beliefs about former Head Start children's abilities and values.
- To examine parents' future expectations for their children.
- To explore the relationship between parental beliefs and children's school attitudes and academic achievement.
Main Methods:
- Survey administered to 124 parents of 155 children who attended Head Start.
- Data collected during the children's kindergarten year.
- Comparison between an intervention group and a control group.
Main Results:
- Parents expressed high optimism regarding their children's future prospects.
- Ethnic differences were observed in parents' beliefs about children's abilities and future outlooks.
- Parental beliefs were correlated with children's attitudes toward school and performance in reading and math.
Conclusions:
- Parental beliefs are a significant factor in early academic success.
- Ethnic variations in parental beliefs warrant further investigation.
- Interventions supporting Head Start transitions should consider parental perspectives.
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