ERIC ED375393: Financial Resources, Parent Psychological Functioning, Parent Co-Caregiving, and Early Adolescent Reading Competence in Rural Two-Parent African American Families. Reading Research Report No. 20. PDF
Preview ERIC ED375393: Financial Resources, Parent Psychological Functioning, Parent Co-Caregiving, and Early Adolescent Reading Competence in Rural Two-Parent African American Families. Reading Research Report No. 20.
DOCUMENT RESUME CS 011 868 ED 375 393 Brody, Gene H.; And Others AUTHOR Financial Resources, Parent Psychological TITLE Functioning, Parent Co-Caregiving, and Early Adolescent Reading Competence in Rural Two-Parent African American Families. Reading Research Report No. 20. National Reading Research Center, Athens, GA.; INSTITUTION National Reading Research Center, College Park, MD. Office of Educational Research and Improvement (ED), SPONS AGENCY Washington, DC. PUB DATE 94 CONTRACT 117A20007 NOTE 27p. AVAILABLE FROM National Reading Research Center, 318 Aderhold, University of Georgia, Athens, GA 30602-7125. Research/Technical (143) PUB TYPE Reports MFOI/PCO2 Plus Postage. EDRS PRICE *Blacks; *Child Rearing; 'Financial Problems; DESCRIPTORS Intermediate Grades; Models; *Parent Child Relationship; *Reading Achievement; Reading Research; Rural Family; *Socioeconomic Status African Americans; *Socioemotional Support IDENTIFIERS ABSTRACT A study examined a proposed family process model that links family financial resources to academic competence and socioemotional adjustment during early adolescence. Subjects were 90 9-to-12-year-old African American youths and their married parents, all of whom lived in the rural southeastern United States. The theoretical constructs in the model were measured via a multimethod, multi-informant design. Rural African American community members participated in the development of the self-report instruments and observational research methods. Results indicated that fewer family resources led to depression and decreased optimism in both parents and resulted in the disruption of parental co-caregiving support. This disruption had adverse consequences for youths by interfering with their development of self-regulation, which in turn negatively influenced their academic competence and socioemotional adjustment. (Contains 52 references, and two tables and two figures of data.) (Author/RS) *********************************************************************** Reproductions supplied by EDRS are the best that can be made from the original document. *********************************************************************** Financial Resources, Parent Psychological Functioning, Parent Co-Caregiving, and Early Adolescent Reading Competence in Rural Two-Parent African American Families Gene H. Brody Zolinda Stoneman Douglas Flor Chris McCrary Lorraine Hastings Olive Conyers University of Georgia U S DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION Office of Educational Re Seams snd Improvement EDUCATIONAL RESOURCES INFORMATION CENTER (ERIC) VrThis document has been reproduced as received loam the person or organization originating it Minor changes have been made to improve reproduction quality. Points of view or oprnions stated in this documont do not necessarily represent officio: OEM position policy Of National Reading Research Center READING RESEARCH REPORT NO. 20 Spring 1994 2 PEST COPY AVAILABLE NRRC National Reading Research Center Financial Resources, Parent Psychological Functioning, Parent Co-Caregving, and Early Adolescent Reading Competence in Rural Two-Parent African American Families Gene H. Brody Zolinda Stoneman Douglas Flor Chris McCrary Lorraine Hastings Olive Conyers University of Georgia READING RESEARCH REPORT NO. 20 Spring 1994 The work reported herein is a National Reading Research Project of the University of Geor- gia and University of Maryland. It was supported under the Educational Research and Devel- opment Centers Program (PR/AWARD NO. 117A20007) as administered by the Office of Educational Research and Improvement, U.S. Department of Education. The findings and opinions expressed here do not necessarily reflect the position or policies of the National Reading Research Center, the Office of Educational Research and Improvement, or the U.S. Department of Education. 3 NRRC National Reading Research Center National Advisory Board Executive Committee Phyllis W. Aldrich Donna E. Alvermann, Co-Director Saratoga Warren Board of Cooperative Educational University of Georgia Services, Saratoga Springs, New York John T. Guthrie. Co-Director Arthur N. Applebee University of Maryland College Park State University of New York, Albany James F. Baumann, Associate Director Ronald S. Brandt University of Georgia Association for Supervision and Curriculum Patricia S. Koskinen, Associate Director Development University of Maryland College Park Marsha T. DeLain Nancy B. Mizelie, Acting Associate Director Delaware Department of Public Instruction University of Georgia Carl A. Grant Jamie Lynn Metsala, Interim Associate Director University of Wisconsin-Madison University of Maryland College Park Walter Kintsch Linda C. DeGroff University of Colorado at Boulder University of Georgia Robert L. Linn John F. O'Flahavan University of Colorado at Boulder University of Maryland College Park Luis C. Moll James V. Hoffman University of Arizona University of Texas at Austin Carol M. Santa Cynthia R. Hynd School District No. 5 University of Georgia Kalispell, Montana Robert Serpell Anne P. Sweet University of Maryland Baltimore County Office of Educational Research and Improvement, U.S. Department of Education Publications Editors Louise Cherry Wilkinson Research Reports and Perspectives Rutgers University Linda DeGroff, Editor University of Georgia Dissemination Coordinator James V. Hoffman, Associate Editor Jordana E. Rich University of Texas at Austin University of Georgia Mariam Jean Dreher, Associate Editor University of Maryland College Park Text Formatters Instructional Resources Michael R. Latimer Lee Galda, University of Georgia Ann Marie Vanstone University of Georgia Research Highlights William G. Holliday NRRC - University of Georgia University of Maryland College Park 318 Aderhold Policy Briefs University of Georgia James V. Hoffman Athens, Georgia 30602-7125 University of Texas at Austin Fax: (706) 542-3678 (706) 542-3674 INTERNET: [email protected] Videos Shawn M. Glynn, University of Georgia NRRC - University of Maryland College Park NRRC Staff 2102 J. M. Patterson Building Barbara F. Howard, Office Manager University of Maryland Carmie R. Bush, Senior Secretary College Park, Maryland 20742 Fax: (301) 314-9625 University of Georgia (301) 405-8035 INTERNET: NRRCgumaiLumd.edu Barbara A. Neitzey, Administrative Assistant Valerie Tyra, Accountant University of Maryland College Park About the National Reading Research Center Dissemination is an important feature of NRRC activi- The National Reading Research Center (NRRC) is funded by the Office of Educational Research and ties. Information on NRRC research appears in several formats. Research Reports communicate the results of Improvement of the U.S. Department of Education to original research or synthesize the findings of several conduct research on reading and reading instruction. lines of inquiry. They are written primarily for re- The NRRC is operated by a consortium of the Universi- searchers studying various areas of reading and reading ty of Georgia and the University of Maryland College instruction. The Perspective Series presents a wide Park in collaboration with researchers at several institu- range of publications, from calls for research and tions nationwide. commentary on research and practice to first-person The NRRC's mission is to discover and document of experiences Instructional schools. those conditions in homes, schools, and communities accounts in Resources include curriculum materials, instructional that encourage children to become skilled, enthusiastic. lifelong readers. NRRC researchers are committed to guides, and materials for professional growth, designed advancing the development of instructional programs primarily for teachers. sensitive to the cognitive, sociocultural, and motiva- For more information about the NRRC's research projects and other activities, or to have your name tional factors that affect children's success in reading. NRRC researchers from a variety of disciplines conduct added to the mailing list, please contact: studies with teachers and students from widely diverse cultural and socioeconomic backgrounds in prekinder- Donna E. Alvermann, Co-Director garten through grade 12 classrooms. Research projects National Reading Research Center deal with the influence of family and family-school 318 Aderhold Hall interactions on the development of literacy; the interac- University of Georgia tion of sociocultural factors and motivation to read; the Athens, GA 30602-7125 impact of literature-based reading programs on reading (706) 542-3674 achievement; the effects of reading strategies instruction on comprehension and critical thinking in literature, John T. Guthrie, Co-Director science, and history; the influence of innovative group National Reading Research Center participation structures on motivation and learning; the 2102 J. M. Patterson Building potential of computer technology to enhance literacy; University of Maryland and the development of methods and standards for College Park, MD 20742 alternative literacy assessments. (301) 405-8035 The NRRC is further committed to the participation of teachers as full partners in its research. A better understanding of how teachers view the development of literacy, how they use knowledge from research, and how they approach change in the classroom is crucial to improving instruction. To further this understanding, the NRRC conducts school-based research in which teachers explore their own philosophical and pedagogi- cal orientations and trace their professional growth. Editorial Review Board NRRC Cynthia Hynd Karin Dahl Patricia Adkins University of Georgia University of Georgia Ohio State University Gay Ivey Peter Afflerbach Lynne Diaz-Rico University of Georgia California State University-San UniVersity of Maryland College Park Bernardino Robert Jimenez JoBeth Allen University of Oregon Pamela Dunston University of Georgia Clemson University Karen Johnson Patty Anders Pennsylvania State University Jim Flood University of Arizona San Diego State University James King Tom Anderson University of South Florida Dana Fox University of Illinois at Urbana- Champaign University of Arizona Sandra Kimbrell Harriette Arrington West Hall Middle School Linda Gambrel! Oakwood, Georgia University of Maryland College Park University of Kentucky Kate Kirby Valerie Garfield Irene Blum Gwinnett County Public Schools Chattahoochee Elementary School Pine Springs Elementary School Lawrenceville, Georgia Falls Church, Virginia Cumming, Georgia Sophie Kowzun Sherrie Gibney-Sherman John Borkowski Prince George's County Schools Notre Dame University Athens-Clarke County Schools Landover, Maryland Athens, Georgia Cynthia Bowen Linda Labbo Rachel Grant Baltimore County Public Schools University of Georgia University of Maryland College Park Towson, Maryland Martha Carr Rosary Lalik Barbara Guzzetti Virginia Polytechnic Institute Arizona State University University of Georgia Michael Law Jane Haugh Suzanne Clewell University of Georgia Center for Developing Learning Montgomery County Public Schools Potentials Rockville, Maryland Sarah McCarthey Silver Spring, Maryland University of Texas at Austin Joan Coley Beth Ann Herrmann Western Maryland College Veda McClain University of South Carolina University of Georgia Michelle Commeyras Kathleen Heubach University of Georgia Lisa McFalls University of Georgia University of Georgia Linda Cooper Susan Hill Shaker Heights City Schools Mike McKenna University of Maryland College Park Shaker Heights, Ohio Georgia Southern University Sally Hudson-Ross Karen Costello Donna Mealey University of Georgia Connecticut Department of Education Louisiana State University Hartford, Connecticut Barbara Michalove Tom Reeves Louise Tomlinson Fowler Drive Elementary School University of Georgia University of Georgia Athens, Georgia Sandy Tumarkin Lenore Ringler Akintunde Morakinyo Strawberry Knolls Elementary School New York University University of Maryland College Park Gaithersburg, Maryland Mary Roe Lesley Morrow University of Delaware Sheila Valencia Rutgers University University of Washington Nadeen T. Ruiz Bruce Murray Bruce VanSledright California State University- University of Georgia Sacramento University of Maryland College Park Susan Neuman Rebecca Sammons Chris Walton Temple University University of Maryland College Park Northern Territory University Australia Caroline Noyes Paula Schwanentlugel Janet Watkins University of Georgia University of Georgia University of Georgia John O'Flahavan .Robert Serpell University of Maryland College Park University of Maryland Baltimore Louise Waynant Prince George's County Schools County Penny Oldfather Upper Marlboro, Maryland University of Georgia Betty Shockley Dera Weaver Fowler Drive Elementary School Joan Pagnucco Athens, Georgia Athens-Clarke County Schools University of Georgia Athens, Georgia Susan Sonnenschein Barbara Palmer Jane West University of Maryland Baltimore Mount Saint Mary's College County University of Georgia Mike Pickle Steve Stahl Allen Wigfield Georgia Southern University University of Georgia University of Maryland College Park Jessie Pollack Anne Sweet Shelley Wong Maryland Department of Educaiton Office of Educational Research University of Maryland College Park Baltimore, Maryland and Improvement Sally Porter Liqing Tao Blair High School University of Georgia Silver Spring, Maryland Ruby Thompson Michael Pressley Clark Atlanta University State University of New York at Albany 7 BES1 COPY AVAILABLE About the Authors The authors for this report are associated with the University of Georgia and the Gwinnett County, Georgia, school system. Gene Brody is Research Professor of Child Development in the College of Family and Consumer Sciences. Zolinda Stoneman is Director of the University Affiliated Program in the College of Family and Consumer Sciences. Douglas for is a doctoral degree candidate in Child and Family Develop- ment and Chris McCrary is a School Guidance the Gwinnett County Public Counselor for Schools, Lawrenceville, Georgia. Olive Conyers is Field Coordinator for the Program for Study and Competence in Children and Families. 8 National Reading Research Center Universities of Georgia and Maryland Reading Research Report No. 20 Spring 1994 Financial Resources, Parent Psychological Functioning, Parent Co-Caregiving, and Early AdolescentReading Competence in Rural Two-Parent African American Families Gene H. Brody Zolinda Stoneman Douglas Flor Chris McCrary Lorraine Hastings Olive Conyers University of Georgia For most of this century, the potential influ- Abstract. We proposed a family process model that links family financial resources to aca- ence of the family on children's literacy develop- demic competence and socioemotional adjust- ment has been overlooked. This is understandable, ment during early adolescence. The sample because in 1910 at the beginning of the era of uni- included 90 9-to-12-year-old African American versal public education in this country, the major youths and their married parents, all of whom responsibility for educating all children in society lived in the rural southeastern United States. was removed from the home and assigned to a so- The theoretical constructs in the model were cial institution, the school. Under this system, the measured via a multimethod, multi-informant task of promoting intellectual development became design. Rural African American community the school's responsibility. members participated in the development of In the early 1960s, the primacy of the school's the self-report instruments and observational role in promoting literacy and cognitive growth research methods. We found that fewer family was challenged. Dave (1963) and Wolfe (1964) resources led to depression and decreased opti- identified a number of child-rearing practices that mism in both parents and resulted h the dis- they believed would stimulate children's cognitive ruption of parental co-caregiving support. This growth. Their studies revealed a high correlation disruption had adverse consequences for the between home activities, such as reading to chil- youths by interferhg with their development of dren, and achievement in school. Combined with self-regulation, which in turn negatively influ- the classic investigations by Hess and Shipman enced their academic competence and socioe- (1965), which also suggested that parental child- motional adjustment. rearing behavior could have an impact on cogni- 9 Brody, Stoneman, et al. 2 Sulzby & Tea le, 1990; Wigfield & Asher, 1984). tion, this research led social scientists to reevaluate These studies have not addressed those factors that the role that parents play in promoting literacy. have an indirect impact on reading competence, The belief that cognitive and linguistic growth via their impact on family relationships. take place primarily in the classroom is outdated. We also propose that reading ability must be Children learn cognitive and literacy skills in a va- studied alongside other abilities and indices of riety of contexts, from an array of social agents to youth functioning. Despite the emphasis on educat- which they are exposed throughout their develop- ing the "whole child," research efforts have fo- ment (Rosenthal & Zimmerman, 1978). A child is cused primarily on family experiences that are exposed not only to parental influence, but also to behavior displayed by extrafamilial adults, sib- associated with literacy acquisition; without con- lings, peers, and models presented in media such sidering that the same processes also affect the de- as television. Literacy acquisition is thus influ- velopment of mathematical skills and emotional enced by an ecological system that includes the functioning. In this report, therefore, we focus on those family processes that are hypothesized to child's family, the child's peer group, and societal promote not only reading competence, but also institutions, including school. competence and mathematical socioemotional We suggest that both family socialization prac- functioning. tices and teacher instruction ale involved in the so- Although migration from rural to urban areas cialization of literacy. Although society ostensibly assigns the teacher specific responsibility for the and from the South to the North has concentrated cognitive domai and the parent specific responsi- large proportions of the African American popula- bility for the social domain, there is obviously con- tion in northern cities, one million of these families still live in the rural southeastern United States siderable overlap in function. In reality, teachers (Orthner, 1986). Many of these families are faced concern themselves with the development of social skills and self-control, and parents have an enor- with adverse environmental conditions and are at mous impact on literacy and language acquisition. risk for unemployment, low wages, low education- al levels, substandard housing, and high infant From our vantage point, the terms education and mortality rates (Coward & Smith, 1983; Orthner, socialization are interchangeable. This commonal- ity between education and socialization makes the 1986). teacher function as a parent, and the parent as a In spite of such great adversity, many rural Af- teacher. Parents are, after all, the first and perhaps rican American possess important families the most important teachers of their own children. strengths. They are more likely than those living in Accordingly, in this technical report, we describe urban areas to live in two-parent households, even the influences of family processes on variations in at poverty levels (Dietrich, 1973; French, 1977; reading and other competencies among rural Afri- Hawkes, Kutner, Wells, Christopherson, & Alm- can American youth. irol, 1981). African American fathers often are in- volved in child rearing, and men and women in In this report, we propose that the family pro- cesses that promote reading competence are them- African American families tend to share household affected by the parents' selves chores. Rural African American women, however, psychological still assume more responsibility for these tasks functioning and by the quality of the family rela- tionships within which the youth's development is (Tolson & Wilson, 1990). These families also have embedded. To date, the literature on family contri- strong extended kin networks, which support fam- butions to reading competence have focused on ily members in need (Hawkes et al., 1981); evi- dence suggests that such ties are more prevalent parent-child interactions (typically with preschool- aged children) in literacy-promoting contexts (cf. among rural than urban African American families NATIONAL READING RESEARCH CENTER, READING RESEARCH REPORT NO. 20 I. 0
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