The relations between parent–educator communication, the home environment, and children’s outcomes in preschool

This study examines the relations between parent–educator communication and preschoolers’ numeracy, literacy, and executive function (EF), and explores if these relations work through the home numeracy environment (HNE) and the home literacy environment (HLE). Children (51.33% female, M = 57.52 months, SD = 3.62) were enrolled in a state-funded prekindergarten program (n = 211) or in another community-based preschool program (n = 52). Analyses revealed a significant relation only between parent–educator communication and numeracy skills in the spring of preschool (β = -.14, p = .002). Unexpectedly, higher parent–educator communication scores in the spring of preschool were related to lower numeracy skills at that same time. Furthermore, the indirect effects for the HNE and HLE were not significant for all outcomes. The findings suggest that it may be beneficial for educators to engage with families early in the academic year to support children’s numeracy skill development