Parental processes affecting academic achievement of children from black, low-income, single-mother families

This study explores the relationships between parental process variables and reading achievement of Black children from low-income, single-mother families. Sixty mothers and their fifth-grade children participated in the study. The children were placed into either a high-achieving or low-achieving group, based upon standardized reading test scores. Parental processes interviews conducted in the homes provided the parental process variables. Correlation coefficients were computed between the reading test scores and parental processes. An analysis of variance was used to compare the parental processes of the two groups. Descriptive information from the home visits provided qualitative data for additional analyses.; The results show that no significant correlation exists between parental processes and reading achievement. Comparative analysis showed no significant differences between parental processes of the two groups. Qualitative analyses show that the families from both groups have various similarities, but no meaningful differences emerged. Four themes common to both groups emerged. They are: (a) mothers hold themselves ultimately responsible for the provision of a quality education for their children; (b) the child's efforts, the mother's role, and the teacher's role are the primary factors which influence learning and educational performance; (c) mothers maintain tight management controls with their children; and (d) mothers give freely of their time, efforts, and energy to assure that their children are learning.; A possible explanation for lack of significant differences in parental processes of the high- versus the low-achieving group may be related to the overpowering effect of protective mechanisms which Black, low-income, single-mothers apparently utilize to protect their children from adverse environmental factors. Parental processes related to academic achievement for this subgroup may therefore be difficult to isolate, if they actually do exist, and may be overshadowed by the more urgent need of these mothers to provide their children with competencies that help the children to become and remain resilient. Implications for further research are discussed.