Presenter(s)

• Emanuel Perez, Exploration of Parental Engagement and Protective Factors on Kindergarten Readiness, University of California, Santa Barbara
• Samantha Hutchinson, University of California, Santa Barbara
• Madeline Spiess, Doctoral Student, Clinical Counseling and School Psychology, University of California, Santa Barbara
• Arnold Rodriguez Robles
• Matthew Quirk, Assistant Professor, University of California-Santa Barbara
• Erin Dowdy, Assistant Professor, University of California, Santa Barbara

Abstract

Kindergarten readiness encompasses an ecological approach where families and schools collaborate to support young learners. The current study examined engagement and protective factors for parents and their role in predicting children’s kindergarten readiness. Findings showed that parents’ protective factors across social connections, concrete support in need, and social-emotional competence with children were notable predictors of children’s kindergarten readiness. Additionally, parents’ protective factor levels predicted children’s kindergarten readiness even when controlling for parental education. Moreover, parental engagement fully mediated the relationship between parents’ protective factors and children’s kindergarten readiness, suggesting that parental engagement might help to explain at least some of the relationship between parents’ protective factors and their children’s kindergarten readiness. The nuanced findings in this study offer suggestions for school psychologists and professionals to promote supportive school and home environments for all children and families so that they can engage more meaningfully with their children and foster children’s overall school readiness.