Understanding the Relation Between Family Engagement in Education and Preschoolers’ Socioemotional and Behavioral Functioning in a Primarily Latinx Sample

Limited literature assessed the relation between family engagement in education and young children’s socioemotional and behavioral functioning. This study investigated these associations longitudinally among urban and low-income, predominantly Latinx preschoolers (n = 69) and their mothers. Initial home-school conferencing predicted lower levels of child socioemotional and behavioral difficulties about 8 months later (β = −.20, p <.05). Additionally, initial child socioemotional and behavioral difficulties predicted higher levels of later home-based involvement (β =.23, p <.05). Results highlighted bidirectional associations between these constructs and suggested potential avenues to enhance family engagement in education and reduce child socioemotional and behavioral problems.