ERIC Number: EJ957329
Record Type: Journal
Publication Date: 2012-Mar
Pages: 30
Abstractor: As Provided
ISBN: N/A
ISSN: ISSN-1468-7984
EISSN: N/A
Mother-Child Conversations at 36 Months and at Pre-Kindergarten: Relations to Children's School Readiness
Cristofaro, Tonia N.; Tamis-LeMonda, Catherine S.
Journal of Early Childhood Literacy, v12 n1 p68-97 Mar 2012
The contributions of mothers' and children's oral language to children's school readiness were longitudinally examined among 75 low-income mothers and children. When children were 36 months, mothers' and children's lexical diversity, mothers' wh-questions, and children's PPVT-III scores were assessed from play interactions. At pre-kindergarten, mothers and children shared a personal narrative, and various aspects of mothers' and children's narratives were coded. Children were assessed on their knowledge about print, letter-word identification, mathematical skills and sustained attention, and scores were combined into a single factor of school readiness. Structural equation analyses yielded two pathways to school readiness. Mothers' wh-questions and lexical diversity predicted children's PPVT-III scores at 36 months, which in turn predicted children's school readiness. Mothers' 36-month lexical diversity predicted mothers' narrative prompts, which related to children's narrative contributions. Children's narrative contributions in turn predicted school readiness. Mother-child conversations support the school readiness of children from low-income backgrounds. (Contains 2 figures and 2 tables.)
Descriptors: Speech Communication, School Readiness, Mothers, Low Income, Oral Language, Kindergarten, Personal Narratives, Parent Child Relationship, Longitudinal Studies, Toddlers, Measures (Individuals), Structural Equation Models, Scores, Prediction, Preschool Children
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Publication Type: Journal Articles; Reports - Research
Education Level: N/A
Audience: N/A
Language: English
Sponsor: N/A
Authoring Institution: N/A
Identifiers - Assessments and Surveys: Peabody Picture Vocabulary Test
Grant or Contract Numbers: N/A