Longitudinal Effects of the Home Learning Environment and Parental Difficulties on Reading and Math Development Across Grades 1–9

This study focuses on parental reading and mathematical difficulties, the home literacy environment, and the home numeracy environment as well as their predictive role in Finnish children’s reading and mathematical development through Grades 1–9. We examined if parental reading and mathematical difficulties directly predict children’s academic performance and/or if they are mediated by the home learning environment. Mothers (n = 1590) and fathers (n = 1507) reported on their reading and mathematical difficulties as well as on the home environment (shared reading, teaching literacy, and numeracy) when their children were in kindergarten. Tests for reading fluency, reading comprehension, and …

Effects of Prior Knowledge on Comprehending Text About Learning Strategies

Good knowledge and skills in using different learning strategies is important for learning with understanding and even more critical during distance learning. Findings indicate that students tend to use and value ineffective learning strategies, thus there is need to educate students. This study aimed to analyze the possibility of using refutation text on learning strategies that students can study independently. The study examined how reported use of learning strategies and preexisting beliefs about the effectiveness of rehearsal and comprehension-oriented strategies relate to the comprehension of text about learning strategies, and how text comprehension is related to later use of strateg…

Transition to formal schooling: Do transition practices matter for academic performance?

Abstract This study examined whether the transition practices implemented in preschool–elementary school pairs contribute to children's academic development during the first year of elementary school. Participants were 398 children who moved from 36 preschools to 22 elementary schools in two Finnish towns. Children were tested in respect to their reading, writing, and math skills in the preschool spring and in the grade 1 spring. The most common practices reported by preschool teachers were discussions about the school entrants and familiarizing preschool children with the school environment and the new teacher. Multilevel latent growth modeling showed that the more the preschool teachers a…

Young adults personal concerns during the COVID-19 pandemic in Finland: an issue for social concern

PurposeThis study focuses on how young adults face the COVID-19 pandemic by investigating their personal concerns about mental well-being, career/studies and economic situation. The authors investigated how young adults' (aged 18–29) personal concerns differ from older people's concerns (aged 30–65) and which person- and context-related antecedents relate to personal concerns.Design/methodology/approachData of Finnish young adults aged 18–29 (n = 222), who participated in the “Corona Consumers” survey (N = 1,000) in April 2020, were analyzed by path analysis and compared to participants aged 30–65 by independent samples t-test.FindingsYoung adults were significantly more concerned about the…

Parental Teaching of Reading and Spelling Across the Transition From Kindergarten to Grade 1

We investigated the longitudinal links between parental teaching of reading and spelling and children’s word reading and spelling skills. Data of 244 Lithuanian parent–child dyads were analyzed, who were followed across three time points: end of kindergarten (T1; Mage = 6.88; 116 girls), beginning of Grade 1 (T2), and end of Grade 1 (T3). The children’s word reading and spelling skills were tested, and the parents answered questionnaires on the frequency with which they taught their children reading and spelling. Overall, the results showed that the parents were responsive to their children’s skill levels across the domains of reading and spelling and across time (i.e., the transition from …

Simple view of reading across the transition from kindergarten to Grade 1 in a transparent orthography

Purpose: This longitudinal study investigated the simple view of reading (SVR) model and its cognitive basis in a transparent orthography of the Lithuanian across the transition from kindergarten to Grade 1. Method: The language and early literacy skills of 229 children (Mage = 6.79, SD = .47) were tested at the end of kindergarten (vocabulary, letter knowledge, phonological awareness, and RAN); listening comprehension and word reading fluency were tested at the start of Grade 1; and reading comprehension was measured at the end of Grade 1. Results: Together with parental education, word reading fluency and listening comprehension predicted reading comprehension (R2 = 43.2%). The second mod…

Responsive home numeracy as children progress from kindergarten through Grade 1

The aim of the present study was to investigate longitudinal associations between formal home numeracy activities and children’s arithmetic fluency skills. Children were followed during the transition from the end of kindergarten (T1; Mage = 6.87 years) to the beginning of Grade 1 (T2), and again at the end of the Grade 1 (T3). Participants were Lithuanian children (n = 341) and their parents. At each time point, parents reported the frequency of the formal home numeracy activities they engaged in with their children; the children completed addition and subtraction tasks at the same three time points. Using a cross-lagged analysis, we found that parents adjusted the frequency of their home …

Children's poor academic performance evokes parental homework assistance-but does it help?

This study investigated the longitudinal associations between type of parental homework assistance and children’s academic performance during grade 1 and grade 2. The reading and math skills of 2,261 children were measured three times during grade 1 and grade 2, and the children’s mothers and fathers filled in questionnaires on the type of homework assistance they engaged in. The results showed that the worse reading and math skills children showed at the beginning of grade 1 and grade 2, the more monitoring and helping with homework parents reported later on. The results suggest, overall, that children’s academic performance has an “evocative impact” on their parents’ behavior.

The interplay between maternal homework involvement, task-avoidance, and achievement among adolescents.

This study examined three aspects of maternal homework involvement (i.e., the quantity, quality, and source of initiative) and their direct and indirect associations with adolescents’ task-avoidant behavior in homework situations and academic achievement. The sample consisted of Finnish mothers and their adolescents who were transitioning from primary to lower secondary school. Mothers rated the quantity of their homework involvement (i.e., monitoring and help), quality of their homework involvement (i.e., autonomy support and psychological control), and source of initiative (i.e., mother- vs. adolescent-initiated monitoring and help) at the beginning of Grade 6. They also reported on adole…

Maternal homework approach and adolescents’ academic skills: The mediating role of task values

The present study investigated the mediating role of the task values between the types of maternal homework approach (perceptions of their child’s autonomy or direct involvement) and adolescents’ academic skills. Data were utilized from 995 mother–child dyads followed across Grades 6, 7, and 9. At each time-point, mothers answered questionnaires on the types of their homework approach, adolescents answered questionnaires about their task values for math and Finnish, and adolescents’ skills in math (arithmetic and multiplication) and reading (reading fluency and reading comprehension) were tested. Separate longitudinal structural equation models were estimated for math and for reading. The r…

Predictors of mothers' and fathers' teaching of reading and mathematics during kindergarten and Grade 1

Abstract The aim of the present longitudinal study was to investigate factors contributing to mothers' and fathers' teaching of reading and mathematics to their children during kindergarten and Grade 1. It was assumed that mothers' and fathers' teaching during kindergarten would be influenced by their socioeconomic status and their own learning difficulties, whereas during Grade 1 by their children's academic performance. A total of 189 mothers and 165 fathers filled in questionnaires regarding their teaching of reading and mathematics twice, once in kindergarten and once in Grade 1. Children's reading and mathematics performance was also examined twice, once in kindergarten and once in Gra…

Task persistence mediates the effect of children’s literacy skills on mothers’ academic help

This longitudinal study aimed at examining the relationship between children's task persistence, mothers' academic help, and the development of children’s literacy skills (reading and spelling) at the beginning of primary school. The participants were 870 children, 682 mothers, and 53 class teachers. Data were collected three times – at the beginning and the end of Grade 1 and at the end of Grade 2. Better literacy skills predicted higher persistence in completing school tasks and, correspondingly, higher persistence was related to better subsequent skills. Also, lower task persistence at the end of Grade 1 corresponded to more frequent academic help from mothers in Grade 2. Moreover, child…

Supplemental Material - Income and Career Concerns Among Emerging Adults From Finland, Sweden, and the United Kingdom During COVID-19

Supplemental Material for Income and Career Concerns Among Emerging Adults From Finland, Sweden, and the United Kingdom During COVID-19 by Julia A. Nuckols, Gintautas Silinskas, Mette Ranta, and Terhi-Anna Wilska in Emerging Adulthood

Zadovoljavanje osnovnih psiholoških potreba i autonomna motivacija u kontekstu škole: testiranje aditivne, sinergističke i hipoteze ravnoteže

The present study examined the influence of the three basic psychological needs on autonomous motivation in educational settings in the light of additive, synergistic, and balance hypotheses. Participants were 679 high school students (Mage = 16.16, 49.3% girls). The findings supported the additive hypothesis: all three needs had unique effects on autonomous motivation. The synergistic hypothesis was only partially supported: one two-way interaction between autonomy and competence had effect on autonomous motivation. A high level of satisfaction of the need for autonomy led to autonomous motivation regardless of satisfaction of the need for competence. However, competence was positively rel…

Does early reading instruction promote the rate of acquisition? A comparison of two transparent orthographies

Abstract This study examines the development of children's reading skills in two transparent orthographies, Estonian and Finnish. Formal reading instruction begins one year earlier in Estonia than in Finland; thus, it was expected that Estonian children would outperform their Finnish peers in reading achievement during grade 1. In this study, 433 Estonian and 353 Finnish first graders were assessed for letter knowledge, phoneme awareness, and reading accuracy and fluency at the beginning of first grade while reading fluency and reading comprehension were assessed in the final semester of first grade. The results showed that, despite Estonian children's better reading skills at the beginning…

Teacher– and parent–child relationships and children’s adjustment behaviors in grade 1 : The role of temperament.

This study aimed at investigating the reciprocal longitudinal associations between teacher– and parent–child relationships and children’s adjustment behaviors during Grade 1, and the role of the child’s temperament in this interplay. The longitudinal study followed Lithuanian children (229 in kindergarten [T0], 337 at the beginning of Grade 1 [T1], 341 at the end of Grade 1 [T2]), their parents, and their Grade 1 teachers (n = 24). The parents and teachers reported on the quality of their relationship with the children during Grade 1. In addition, parents reported on the children’s temperament in kindergarten, and the teachers reported on the children’s adjustment behaviors during Grade 1. …

Children evoke similar affective and instructional responses from their teachers and mothers

In the present study, we examined the extent to which the responses of teachers and mothers toward a particular child are similar in respect to their instructional support and affect, and whether child characteristics predict these responses. The data of 373 Finnish child–teacher–mother triads (178 girls, 195 boys) were analysed. Teachers and mothers reported their instructional support and affective responses toward a child in the school/homework context in Grades 1, 2, 3, and 4. At the beginning of Grade 1, the children’s performance in reading and math was tested, and teachers evaluated the children’s externalizing and internalizing problem behaviour. The results demonstrated that mothe…

The Quality of Maternal Homework Involvement : The Role of Adolescent and Maternal Factors

This study examined adolescent and maternal factors of the quality of maternal homework involvement and the extent to which the factors predicted adolescents' subsequent achievement through adolescents' and mothers' perceptions of the quality of maternal homework involvement. The sample consisted of 847 Finnish adolescents and their 662 mothers who both rated the quality of homework involvement (i.e., autonomy support and psychological control) in the fall of Grade 6. Adolescents rated their positive and negative academic emotions. Mothers rated their beliefs about adolescents' school success, their positive and negative emotions, and adolescents' task avoidance in homework situations. Info…

Math homework : Parental help and children’s academic outcomes

In the present study, we examined the longitudinal relations between child-perceived parental help with math homework (i.e., support and control), children's math skills, and mother-reported task persistent behavior in homework situations. A total of 624 mother–child dyads were followed across Grade 6 and Grade 9, controlling for Grade 3 variables. At each measurement point, children completed math tests, and their mothers evaluated task persistence during homework. In Grades 6 and 9, children reported their perceptions of their parents’ help with math homework. First, the results showed that perceived support in Grade 6 predicted an increase in persistence during homework in Grade 9. Secon…

Financial Behaviour Under Economic Strain in Different Age Groups: Predictors and Change Across 20 Years

AbstractThe present study examined the multiple micro- and macro-level factors that affect individuals’ financial behaviour under economic strain. The following sociodemographic and economic factors that predict financial behaviour were analysed: age group, year of data gathering, and attitudes towards consumption (economical, deprived, and hedonistic). Subjective financial situations and demographic characteristics were controlled for. Finnish time series data that consisted of five cross-sectional nationally representative surveys were used (n = 10 043). The analyses revealed four types of financial behaviour: cutting expenses, borrowing, increasing income, and gambling. Young adults aged…

Task-Focused Behavior Mediates the Associations Between Supportive Interpersonal Environments and Students’ Academic Performance

In the longitudinal study presented here, we tested the theoretical assumption that children’s task-focused behavior in learning situations mediates the associations between supportive interpersonal environments and academic performance. The sample consisted of 2,137 Finnish-speaking children. Data on supportive interpersonal environments (characterized by authoritative parenting, positive teacher affect toward the child, and peer acceptance) were gathered in Grade 1. The children’s task-focused behavior was measured in Grades 2 and 3, and academic performance was measured in Grades 1 and 4. The results supported our assumption by showing that all three supportive environments were positiv…

A person-oriented approach to maternal homework involvement during the transition to lower secondary school

This study examined patterns of mothers' homework involvement (n = 680 in Grade 6 and 665 in Grade 7) and changes in them during 12-year-old Finnish adolescents' (n = 848; 391 boys) transition to lower secondary school. Moreover, the extent to which adolescents' motivational behavior and prior academic achievement predicted these patterns was examined. The latent transition analyses identified four relatively stable latent patterns of maternal homework involvement in Grades 6 and 7: averagely involved, psychologically controlling and intrusive, noninvolved, and intrusive monitoring and helping. The higher task avoidance and the poorer achievement adolescents showed, the more likely their mo…

Socioemotional functioning across the transition to lower secondary school : The role of temperament and relationships with mothers and teachers

This Finnish longitudinal study investigated the role of relationships with mothers (n = 631) and teachers (n = 56), and adolescents' (n = 848; 53.9% girls, 46.1% boys) temperament in the development of the adolescents' socioemotional functioning during the transition to lower secondary school (Grade 6 to Grade 7; age in Grade 6: M = 12.32, SD = 0.36). The results showed that mother–adolescent closeness predicted a higher level and teacher–adolescent closeness predicted a smaller decrease in prosocial behavior. Teacher–adolescent conflict predicted a higher level, and mother–adolescent conflict predicted an increase in externalizing problems. Only temperament predicted internalizing problem…

Effects of teacher's individualized support on children's reading skills and interest in classrooms with different teaching styles

Abstract The purpose of the study was to examine whether teacher's individualized support affects students' reading skills and interest in classrooms with different teaching styles. Groups of teachers with child-centered, mixed child-centered/teacher-directed, and child-dominated teaching styles were differentiated based on observed teaching practices. The participants were 552 children (273 boys) and their 21 homeroom teachers. Teaching practices were assessed in Grade 1, teacher individualized support and students' reading skills and interest in reading were assessed twice - at the end of Grades 1 and 2.The results showed that relations between individualized support and students' later r…

The effectiveness of increased support in reading and its relationship to teachers' affect and children's motivation

Abstract The aims of this study were, firstly, to identify different groups of teacher–child dyads on the basis of the longitudinal associations between teachers' individual support in reading and children's reading skills, and, secondly, to examine whether the groups thus identified differ with respect to various teacher- and child-related factors. A total of 372 teacher–child dyads were examined. The reading skills of 6- to 7-year-old Finnish-speaking children were measured at the beginning and end of Grade 1. The amount of teachers' support in reading for a particular child was gathered from teachers by questionnaires. Regression Mixture Modeling identified three latent groups of teacher…

The frequency of parents’ reading-related activities at home and children's reading skills during kindergarten and Grade 1

Abstract This longitudinal study investigated the associations between the frequency of parents’ reading-related activities at home and their children's reading-related skills during the transition from kindergarten to Grade 1. Longitudinal data were obtained for 1436 Finnish children (5- to 6-year-olds at baseline) and their mothers and fathers. 684 girls and 752 boys participating in the study represented four Finnish municipalities. The reading skills of the children were measured four times: at the beginning and at the end of their kindergarten year, and at the beginning and at the end of Grade 1. In kindergarten, decoding tests were administered individually. In Grade 1, group tests in…

Maternal teaching of reading and children's reading skills in Grade 1: Patterns and predictors of positive and negative associations

Abstract The main aim of the study was to identify subgroups of children based on the associations between the reported frequency of maternal teaching of reading and children's reading skills, and whether these subgroups differ with respect to mother-related (i.e., education, controlling behavior, and emotions in homework situations) and child-related (i.e., reading habits and gender) background factors. Data were gathered from 1460 mother–child dyads. The reading skills of 6- to 7-year-old Finnish-speaking children were measured at the beginning and at the end of Grade 1. Information from mothers was gathered by questionnaires. Regression Mixture Modeling identified four latent subgroups o…

The home literacy model in a highly transparent orthography

We investigated the extent to which home literacy activities during the preschool year would predict the development of children’s language and literacy skills in primary school, in a highly transparent Finnish language. Also, the correlates of maternal literacy activities during preschool were examined. Literacy and language skills of 1,880 children (6-year-olds at the baseline) were tested at 5 time points from the beginning of preschool to the end of Year 2; mothers filled in questionnaires at the end of preschool. The results showed that home teaching of reading at preschool age predicted children’s emergent literacy (letter knowledge, word reading fluency) in primary school, while shar…

Maternal homework assistance and children's task-persistent behavior in elementary school

The present study used a sample of 365 children to investigate the longitudinal associations between maternal homework assistance (i.e., help, monitoring, and autonomy granting) and children's task-persistent behavior in learning situations from grade 2 to grade 4 of elementary school. Also, the extent to which task-persistent behavior plays a role in the links between parental homework assistance and children's academic performance was examined. The results showed that the more autonomy granting mothers reported, the more task-persistent behavior children exhibited; and more task-persistent behavior children exhibited, the more autonomy their mothers granted. In contrast, the more mothers …

Cross-lagged relationships between home learning environment and academic achievement in Chinese

Abstract We examined (a) the cross-lagged relationships between the home learning environment and academic achievement in Chinese, and (b) whether parents’ socioeconomic status (SES) and child's gender moderate the relations. One hundred seventy-seven Chinese children were followed from Grade 1 to Grade 2 and were assessed on reading and mathematics. Their parents also responded to a questionnaire assessing the frequency of engaging in different home literacy and numeracy activities. Results showed that reading ability in Grade 1 negatively predicted informal home literacy activities in Grade 2. In turn, mathematics ability in Grade 1 negatively predicted formal home numeracy activities in …

Maternal literacy teaching, causal attributions and children’s literacy skills in Finnish-speaking and language minority families

Abstract This study investigated the effect of mothers’ (language minority group mothers, LM, n = 49, and Finnish speaking mothers, MP, n = 368) literacy teaching at home, and mothers’ causal attributions of their children’s (mean age 11.48 years) literacy skills at fourth grade in Finland. For Finnish speaking mothers, results showed a negative correlation between the amount of literacy taught at home and children’s performance on reading tests i.e., more teaching was associated with poorer performance and vice versa. Also, the more MP mothers measured their children’s success by their ability, the better their children performed in reading comprehension tests. In the LM group, maternal li…

Maternal homework assistance and children's task-persistent behavior in elementary school

Abstract The present study used a sample of 365 children to investigate the longitudinal associations between maternal homework assistance (i.e., help, monitoring, and autonomy granting) and children's task-persistent behavior in learning situations from grade 2 to grade 4 of elementary school. Also, the extent to which task-persistent behavior plays a role in the links between parental homework assistance and children's academic performance was examined. The results showed that the more autonomy granting mothers reported, the more task-persistent behavior children exhibited; and more task-persistent behavior children exhibited, the more autonomy their mothers granted. In contrast, the more…

Cross-lagged associations between problem behaviors and teacher-student relationships in early adolescence

This study investigated the cross-lagged associations between teacher-student relationships and problem behaviors in a sample of 440 Finnish students (half of them identified as being at risk of reading difficulties). The degree to which these associations were moderated by a child’s gender, academic performance, risk for reading difficulties, parental education, and having the same teacher over 2 years was examined. The teachers evaluated the students’ problem behaviors and reported closeness and conflict with a particular student. The results showed that the higher the students scored on externalizing problems in Grade 4, the more conflict teachers reported 2 years later. Moderator analy…

Patterns of Children’s Relationships With Parents and Teachers in Grade 1 : Links to Task Persistence and Performance

Our study aimed to investigate the patterns of children’s relationships with their parents and teachers, the development of these relationships during Grade 1, and respective links to children’s learning (in task persistence and performance). Parents of 350 children answered questionnaires about the quality of their relationships with their children; 25 teachers answered questions about children’s task persistence at school and the quality of their relationships with their students; 350 children completed literacy and math performance tests; and six testers evaluated children’s task persistence when completing those tests. All measures were administered twice: at the start and end of Grade …

Longitudinal associations between teacher-child interactions and academic skills in elementary school

This study examined the extent to which the quality of teacher-child interactions assessed in kindergarten (6-year-olds) is associated with children's reading and math development across the elementary school years. The sample consisted of 515 Finnish children (271 boys, 244 girls). Teacher-child interactions were observed in 49 kindergarten classrooms. The findings from the latent growth curve models showed that high-quality teacher–child interactions in kindergarten were positively associated with the initial levels of reading and math skills. Furthermore, the results indicated that high-quality teacher-child interactions in kindergarten were positively associated with children's academic…

Financial literacy among Finnish adolescents in PISA 2018 : the role of financial learning and dispositional factors

The aim or the present study was to examine the relative importance of financial education in school and families and dispositional factors (competitiveness, work mastery, meta-cognition) in predicting financial literacy among Finnish adolescents. The data on the 4328 Finnish 15-year-olds was drawn from the PISA 2018 assessment. Financial literacy was measured by tests, and financial education and dispositional factors were assessed by adolescent questionnaires. First, the results showed that financial education in school was positively associated with adolescents’ financial literacy skills, whereas parental involvement in financial matters did not relate or related negatively to financial …

School and family environments promote adolescents' financial confidence: Indirect paths to financial literacy skills in Finnish PISA 2018

This study investigates the associations of adolescents’ financial socialization factors—financial education in school and families—with financial confidence (i.e., confidence in using financial and digital financial services). In addition, we examine how financial socialization factors indirectly relate to financial literacy skills through financial confidence and the role of demographic factors (adolescent gender, grade level, parental education, family wealth) on financial socialization, financial confidence, and financial literacy scores. We used data on the 4,328 Finnish 15-year-olds participating in the 2018 Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA). We measured financial …

The effects of children’s reading skills and interest on teacher perceptions of children’s skills and individualized support

This study examined the effects of children’s reading skills and interest in reading-related tasks on teacher perceptions of children’s literacy skills (reading and spelling) and the respective individualized support for children during the first two years of formal schooling. The participants were 334 children and their classroom teachers. Identical measures were administered at three time points (at the beginning of Grade 1 and at the end of Grades 1 and 2). Children’s reading skills were assessed with the word reading fluency test, and their interest in reading was assessed with self-reports. Also, teachers evaluated each child’s level of reading and spelling skills and reported the lev…

Externalizing behavior problems and interest in reading as predictors of later reading skills and educational aspirations

This study examined the developments in children’s externalizing problems and interest in reading during their first four years of school (Grades 1–4) and investigated whether this development predicted the children’s Grade 6 reading skills and educational aspirations. Data comprised (1) teachers’ ratings of externalizing problems and children’s (N = 642; 43% girls) self-ratings of their interest in reading, collected between Grades 1 and 4, and (2) measures of reading fluency and comprehension, and children’s self-reports of educational aspirations, collected at Grade 6. First, latent growth modeling showed that a higher level of externalizing problems in Grade 1 was associated with a lowe…

Maternal Affection Moderates the Associations Between Parenting Stress and Early Adolescents’ Externalizing and Internalizing Behavior

The present study investigated the role of parenting stress in early adolescents’ externalizing and internalizing behavior and, particularly, the moderating effect of maternal affection on these associations. The data of 992 early adolescents ([Formula: see text]; 454 girls) and their mothers during the transition from primary school to lower secondary school were analyzed. The results showed that when maternal affection was low, parenting stress was not related to the changes in early adolescents’ externalizing or internalizing behavior. In contrast, when maternal affection was high, low parenting stress related to a decrease and high parenting stress to an increase in such behavior. The …

Home Literacy Activities and Children’s Reading Skills, Independent Reading, and Interest in Literacy Activities From Kindergarten to Grade 2

According to the Home Literacy Model (Sénéchal and LeFevre, 2002, 2014), young children can be exposed to two distinct types of literacy activities at home. First, meaning-related literacy activities are those where print is present but is not the focus of the parent–child interaction, for example, when parents read storybooks to their children. In contrast, code-related literacy activities focus on the print, for example, activities such as when parents teach their children the names and sounds of letters or to read words. The present study was conducted to expand the Home Literacy Model by examining its relation with children’s engagement in literacy activities at home and at school as Fi…

Changes in achievement values from primary to lower secondary school among students with and without externalizing problems

This study examined the effect of students' externalizing problems on changes in values that they attach to math across the transition from primary to lower secondary school. Data pertaining to externalizing problems and to intrinsic, attainment, and utility values in math were gathered using the self-ratings of students in Grades 6 and 7. The analysis involved a comparison between students who reported persistent high externalizing problems before and after the transition (n = 63; 59% boys) and those who had low or non-existent externalizing problems before and after the transition (n = 1352; 50% boys). The results of a mixed-design analysis of covariance (ANCOVA) showed uniformly that stu…

Income and Career Concerns Among Emerging Adults From Finland, Sweden, and the United Kingdom During COVID-19

In this study, we examine the prevalence of income and career concerns among emerging adults in three different welfare states during COVID-19: Finland ( n = 309), Sweden ( n = 324), and the United Kingdom ( n = 343). This study also delves into how factors such as one’s self-perceived financial situation, generalized mistrust, loneliness and socio-demographics are related to emerging adults’ income and career concerns. Results showed that individuals from the United Kingdom were more likely to experience increased income and career concerns than those in Finland and Sweden. Our results also suggest that income concerns were associated with one’s current financial situation, future financi…

Maternal parenting styles, homework help, and children’s literacy development in language minority and Finnish-speaking families

The aim of this study was to examine the role of mothers’ (language minority mothers, LM, n = 49, and Finnish-speaking mothers, MP, n = 368) parenting styles and maternal help with their children’s homework in the children’s (mean age 11.43 years) literacy skills at fourth grade in Finland. In addition, the moderating effect of a child’s gender on this relationship was investigated. The results showed that the LM mothers used psychological control more than MP mothers. Furthermore, the more LM mothers used warmth and psychological styles of parenting, the more they helped their daughters, not sons, with homework. MP mothers’ parenting styles did not relate to their children’s reading and sp…

Parental Involvement in Math Homework: Links to Children’s Performance and Motivation

The present study examined the longitudinal associations between children’s perceptions of parental involvement in math homework (control and support) and their math performance and motivation (taskpersistent homework behavior and math self-concept). Children (n = 512) reported their perceptions concerning parental involvement in sixthgrade math homework. In grades 3 and 6, children completed math tests, evaluated own math self-concept, and their mothers (n = 420) evaluated task persistence during homework. The results showed that low selfconcept in math predicted increased parental control, which in turn related to low math performance, task persistence, and math selfconcept. Second, perce…

Classroom interaction and literacy activities in kindergarten : Longitudinal links to grade 1 readers at risk and not at risk of reading difficulties

The purpose of the present study is to establish how the quality of kindergarten classroom interactions and the frequency of literacy activities affect reading development among Grade 1 children—both those who are at risk and not at risk of developing reading difficulties. Interaction was assessed in terms of classroom organization, and the level of emotional and instructional support offered in 49 kindergarten classrooms in Finland using the CLASS (Classroom Assessment Scoring System). Kindergarten teachers also recorded the frequency of literacy activities in their classrooms. The phonological awareness and letter knowledge of 515 children (i.e., their pre-reading skills) were assessed at…

Parents and their children's school lives--commentary on the special issue, 'Parents' role in children's school lives'.

Although it is teachers who play the key role in supporting children’s learning and theiracademicdevelopmentatschool,parentstoocanbeinvolvedintheirchildren’sacademiclives in many different ways. As the vast majority of parents consider academicachievement and adjustment to be important for their children’s future, parents oftenmake an effort to support their children’s learning, such as helping them with theirhomework. Many kinds of parental involvement have been described in the literature,although not all of them have been shown to be effective in promoting children’sacademic development (Chen & Stevenson, 1989; Cooper, Lindsay, & Nye, 2000; Fan CLevinet al.,1997;Patall,Cooper,RPomerantz,…

Parental homework-help profiles throughout grades 6 – 9 : Relations to motivation and mathematics skills

This study aimed to examine how parental profiles during homework help (supportive versus controlling) for children in Grades 6 and 9 change over time and relate to children’s motivation and math skills. Participants included 719 mother–child dyads. Children’s perceptions of parental help and math skills were assessed in both grades; children’s math-related self-concept, interest, and mother-rated task persistence were assessed only in Grade 6. Three similar profiles of parental help appeared in both grades. Most mothers and children belonged to the Average support and control profile (around 60% in both grades); 29–33% belonged to the Average support, high control profile; and 8–11% belong…

Patterns of word reading skill, interest and self-concept of ability

AbstractThe majority of previous research on academic skills, self-concept of ability and interest has deployed the variable-oriented approach and focused on self-concept, or ability, or interest only. This study examined the patterns and dynamics of pattern change in Finnish children’s word reading skill, self-concept of ability and interest from kindergarten to Grade 2. Six groups of children were identified by using the I-states as objects analysis (ISOA) procedure: (a) low skills, negative self-concept but high interest; (b) high skills but low interest; (c) average; (d) high skills, positive self-concept and high interest; (e) low skills, negative self-concept and low interest; and (f)…

Parental involvement and children ́s academic skills