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April 2005, Vol 95, No. 4 | American Journal of Public Health 617-625
© 2005 American Public Health Association
DOI: 10.2105/AJPH.2004.041616

PUBLIC HEALTH MATTERS

"Come and Take a Walk": Listening to Early Head Start Parents on School-Readiness as a Matter of Child, Family, and Community Health

Carol L. McAllister, PhD, Patrick C. Wilson, PhD, Beth L. Green, PhD and Jennifer L. Baldwin, BA

Carol L. McAllister is with the Department of Behavioral and Community Health Sciences, Graduate School of Public Health, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, Pa. Patrick C. Wilson is with the Department of Anthropology, University of Lethbridge, Lethbridge, Alberta, Canada. Beth L. Green is with the Northwest Professional Consortium Inc, Portland, Ore. Jennifer L. Baldwin is a graduate student at the University of Pittsburgh.

Correspondence: Requests for reprints should be sent to Carol L. McAllister, PhD, 220 Parran Hall, Graduate School of Public Health, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA 15261 (e-mail: allister{at}pitt.edu).

We explored the perspectives and experiences of low-income, predominantly African American families regarding children’s school-readiness. Our research, which involved qualitative interviews, ethnographic case studies, and "photovoice" methods, focused on families participating in the national evaluation of Early Head Start. While valuing academic skills, study parents emphasized the importance of social and emotional health in regard to both children’s and parents’ readiness to begin school. These developments are especially critical given the challenges parents perceive in local school environments. On the basis of a social ecology framework, we argue that psychological and environmental dimensions of school-readiness are public health matters and that understanding the perspectives of low-income and minority parents on such issues is a critical aspect of health communication dedicated to eliminating health disparities.




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Home page
 Journal of Early Childhood ResearchHome page
G. Kiernan, N. Axford, M. Little, C. Murphy, S. Greene, and M. Gormley
the school readiness of children living in a disadvantaged area in Ireland
Journal of Early Childhood Research, June 1, 2008; 6(2): 119 - 144.
[Abstract] [PDF]


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