School readiness among children of Hispanic immigrants and their peers: The role of parental cognitive stimulation and early care and education

Parenting Contributions to Latinx Children’s Development in the Early Years

“…When studies compare Latinx children to other Latinx children whose life experiences vary from their own, the story is different and more informative. Studies using national datasets show that Latinx children whose parents are immigrants perform worse on cognitive tests than Latinx children whose parents are not (Padilla and Ryan 2018). The evidence is similar, although less consistent, for Latinx children’s social skills.…”

“…Immigrant parents face many barriers, including limited English proficiency, less formal education, and stress that can undermine their ability to parent their children. Latinx immigrant parents (born outside the United States) have children who perform worse on tests of school readiness at kindergarten entry than Latinx parents born in the United States (Padilla and Ryan 2018).…”

“…They average less than a high school education, are more likely to have children during their teen years, and experience more economic strain (e.g., renting a room in an apartment). Consequently, immigrant Latinx parents are most at risk for less-nurturant parenting and seldom engage their children in cognitively stimulating activities at home (e.g., reading books, telling stories, playing games) at levels that can prepare them for the demands of kindergarten (Padilla and Ryan 2018). Studies find that immigrant parents have children who are perceived to have the lowest levels in social competence (e.g., self-control, interpersonal skills) compared to later-generation Latinx children (Galindo and Fuller 2010).…”

The Educare intervention: Outcomes at age 3

“…There were no significant differences in effects for African-American children. While previous research has shown that DLL preschoolers may especially benefit from center-based care ( Gormley, 2008 ; Magnuson, Meyers, Ruhm, & Waldfogel, 2004 ; Morris et al, 2018 ; Padilla & Ryan, 2018 ; Puma et al, 2010 ), there have been few studies examining the experiences and outcomes of DLL infants and toddlers in ECE settings ( Buysse et al, 2014 ). We know that Spanish-speaking DLLs from low-income families start kindergarten behind their peers in reading skills ( Reardon & Galindo, 2009 ) and that their English language skills at school entry predict achievement through middle grades ( Halle, Hair, Wandner, McNamara, & Chien, 2012 ; Han, 2012 ; Kieffer, 2012 ), but their trajectory of language development from birth to age 4 when enrolled in ECE is less well documented.…”

A Strength-Based Framework for Realizing Latino Young Children’s Potential

“…How Latinx children whose parents are immigrants do on assessments of cognitive and socio-emotional skills relative to Latinx children whose parents are U.S. born is mixed. Some evidence suggests that Latinx children in immigrant families perform less well in cognitive tests but not so on social skills (Padilla & Ryan, 2018). Immigrant low-income Latinx children in Miami (i.e., children born outside the United States), for example, were rated by their teachers as being more socially competent and having fewer behavior problems than their native-born Latinx peers (De Feyter & Winsler, 2009).…”