The Influence of Education Context and Beliefs on the Teaching Behavior of African American Mothers

The goal of this study is to examine the influence of maternal education level, context, and maternal beliefs on the teaching behaviors of African American mothers. In addition, the relationship between maternal teaching and children’s mastery of the information is explored. Fifty-one African American mothers were observed teaching their 4-year-old preschool children three memory tasks and were administered a three-part questionnaire to determine their metamemory beliefs, their assessment of their children’s memory competence, and the amount of time they engaged in memory activities with their children. The results of the MANOVA applied to the data reveal that maternal teaching varied significantly according to education level and context. Several of the maternal strategies are predictive of the preschoolers’mastery of the information as well. Explanation of the findings and directions for future research are discussed.

Children's intellectual and emotional-behavioral adjustment at 4 years as a function of cocaine exposure, maternal characteristics, and environmental risk

The authors examined 223 children at age 4 years for the effects of prenatal cocaine exposure, exposure to other substances, maternal and environmental risk factors, and neonatal medical problems on IQ, externalizing problems, and internalizing problems. Regression analyses showed that maternal verbal IQ and low environmental risk predicted child IQ. Cocaine exposure negatively predicted children's overall IQ and verbal reasoning scores, but only for boys. Cocaine exposure also predicted poorer short-term memory. Maternal harsh discipline, maternal depressive symptoms, and increased environmental risk predicted externalizing problems. In contrast, only maternal depressive symptoms predicted internalizing problems. These findings indicate that early exposure to substances is largely unrelated to subsequent IQ or adjustment, particularly for girls.

Interactions of African American infants and their mothers: relations with development at 1 year of age

The relationships between aspects of mother-infant interaction and both communication and cognitive skills at 1 year of age were examined in 92 African American dyads, of whom 64 (70%) fell below the poverty line. Ratings of warmth, sensitivity, responsiveness, encouragement of initiative, stimulation, and elaborativeness during a semistructured play interaction were correlated with measures of global cognition, expressive and receptive communication, and communication use. The overall quality of the home environment and maternal ratings of stimulation and elaborativeness were the most consistent correlates of infant communication measures. Relationships were stronger in middle-income than lower-income dyads. These results support the linkage of didactic and functional aspects of maternal behavior to cognitive and communication skills at 1 year of age for African American infants.

Mother-child interaction and the cognitive and behavioural development of four-year-old children with poor growth

A whole population inner-city survey identified 23 stunted, otherwise healthy, children with persistently poor growth from infancy to 4 years. Their cognitive development was significantly retarded relative to a matched comparison group. Unstructured home observations were used to create transcripts of verbal and nonverbal mother-child interactions. In both groups child behavioural adjustment was linked to maternal negativity, and cognitive performance was correlated with quality of stimulation. The developmental delay associated with chronic failure to thrive appeared more likely to arise from other influences, perhaps a previous biological insult, than to contemporaneous parenting practices.

Enhancing maternal interactive behavior and child social competence in low birth weight, premature infants

Effects of a comprehensive early intervention program for low birth weight, premature infants--the Infant Health and Development Program--on mother-child interaction were examined at 30 months (N = 683). Small significant positive effects were found: Intervention mothers had higher ratings on quality of assistance; intervention children had higher ratings on persistence and enthusiasm and on an overall child rating of competence and involvement and lower ratings on percentage of time off-task; intervention dyads were rated as more synchronous. Of a set of initial status variables indexing biological and environmental risk, only 2 treatment interactions were found. Intervention group black children had higher ratings on enthusiasm and lower percentage of time off-task. Independent of treatment, maternal ethnicity and education were significant predictors of maternal and dyadic ratings, while ethnicity and birth weight predicted child ratings. Implications for early intervention and center-based care are discussed.