Systematic review and meta-analysis of parental roles in early childhood school readiness

Abstract The influence of parents on children’s school readiness encompasses multiple dimensions, including involvement, education, and socioeconomic status. Previous research has often focused on isolated aspects of these parental influences. This meta-analysis systematically evaluates the diverse effects of parental factors on children’s school readiness and examines the moderating roles of children’s gender and age on these effects. The study synthesized findings from 26 studies (61 effect sizes) sourced from Web of Science, Scopus, and ProQuest, adhering to the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA). A random-effect model was used for all meta-analyses, with mixed-effects models applied for moderation analyses. Results indicated that parental involvement exhibited the strongest association with school readiness, followed by socioeconomic status, home learning environment, parent-teacher collaboration, and parental characteristics. These findings underscore the critical role of parental involvement in fostering children’s school readiness, extending beyond socioeconomic factors. Additionally, child age negatively moderated the effect of parent-teacher collaboration, indicating that older children require less collaboration between parents and teachers. These results highlight the importance of educators engaging parents in child development initiatives and encouraging parents to participate actively in learning activities that enhance school readiness.