Skip to main content

Advertisement

SpringerLink
Log in

Child, Family, and Neighborhood Associations with Parent and Peer Interactive Play During Early Childhood

  • Published:
Maternal and Child Health Journal Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

To examine national patterns of peer and parent interactive play opportunities that enhance early learning/socialization. Bivariate and multivariable analyses of cross-sectional data on 22,797 children aged 1–5 years from the National Survey of Children’s Health 2007 were performed to determine the child, family, and neighborhood factors associated with four parent-initiated activities. Outcomes measures included time (days/week) children spent: participating in peer play; being read to; sung to/told stories; and taken on family outings. Covariates included race/ethnicity, poverty, TV watching, childcare, child and maternal physical and mental health, family factors (structure, size, language, stress, education), and neighborhood factors (amenities, support, physical condition, safety). According to adjusted regression models, minority children from lower income, non-English-speaking households with limited education, poorer maternal health and greater parenting stress were read to/told stories less than children without these characteristics, while neighborhood factors exerted less influence. In contrast, significant reductions in days/week of peer play were associated with unsupportive neighborhoods and those with the poorest physical conditions and limited amenities. Likewise, reductions in outings were associated with fewer neighborhood amenities. The findings of this study indicate that a variety of child, family, and neighborhood factors are associated with parent-initiated behaviors such as reading, storytelling, peer interactive play, and family outings. Appropriate evidence-based home visiting interventions targeting child health, parenting skills, early childhood education, and social services in at-risk communities would appear to be appropriate vehicles for addressing such parent-initiated play activities that have the potential to enhance development.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  1. Bertrand, J., Williams, R., & Ford-Jones, L. (2008). Social paediatrics and early childhood development—the practical enhancements: Part 2. Paediatrics and Child Health, 13(10), 857–861.

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  2. Burdette, H. L., & Whitaker, R. C. (2005). Resurrecting free play in young children. Archives of Pediatrics and Adolescent Medicine, 159, 46–50.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  3. Henry, M. (1990). More than just play: The significance of mutually directed adult-child activity. Early Child Development and Care, 60, 35–51.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  4. Pellegrini, A. D. (2009). Research and policy on children’s play. Child Development Perspectives, 3(2), 131–136.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  5. Johnson, M. H. (2001). Functional brain development in humans. Nature Reviews Neuroscience, 2(7), 475–483.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  6. Henig, R. M. (2008). Taking play seriously. New York Times on the web 17 February 2008. http://www.nytimes.com/2008/02/17/magazine/17play.html. Accessed May 2011.

  7. Ginsburg, K. R. (2007). American Academy of Pediatrics Committee on Communications; American Academy of Pediatrics Committee on Psychosocial Aspects of Child and Family Health. Pediatrics, 119(1), 182–191.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  8. U.S. Bureau of the Census. (2009). Current populations reports. Custodial mothers and fathers and their child support: 2007. Washington, DC: U.S. Government Printing Office.

  9. U.S. Department of Labor, Bureau of Labor Statistics. (2008). Employment characteristics of families in 2007. Washington, DC: U.S. Department of Labor.

  10. Certain, L. K., & Kahn, R. S. (2002). Prevalence, correlates, and trajectory of television viewing among infants and toddlers. Pediatrics, 109(4), 634–642.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  11. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, National Center for Health Statistics. National Survey of Children’s Health. (2007). List of variables and frequency counts. http://www.cdc.gov/nchs/slaits/nsch.htm#2007nsch. Accessed May 2011.

  12. Mendez, J. L., & Fogle, L. M. (2002). Parental reports of preschool children’s social behavior: Relations among peer play, language competence and problem behavior. Journal of Psychoeducational Assessment, 20, 374–381.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  13. Ladd, G. W., Herald, S. L., & Kochel, K. P. (2006). School readiness: Are there social prerequisites? Early Education and Development, 17(1), 115–150.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  14. Uren, N., & Stagnitti, K. (2009). Pretend play, social competence and involvement in children aged 5–7 years: The concurrent validity of the child-initiated pretend play assessment. Australian Occupational Therapy Journal, 56, 33–40.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  15. Nicolopoulou, A., McDowell, J., & Brockmeyer, C. (2006). Narrative play and emergent literacy: Storytelling and story-acting meet journal writing. In D. Singer, R. Golinkoff, & K. Hirsh-Pasek (Eds.), Play = Learning (pp. 124–144). New York: Oxford University Press.

  16. Pellegrini, A. D., & Smith, P. K. (1998). Physical activity play: The nature and function of a neglected aspect of play. Child Development, 69(3), 577–598.

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  17. Hammer, C. S., Farkas, G., & Maczuga, S. (2010). The language and literacy development of Head Start children: A study using the Family and Child Experiences Survey database. Language, Speech, and Hearing in the Schools, 41, 70–83.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  18. NICHD Early Child Care Research Network. (2005). Pathways to reading: The role of oral language in the transition to reading. Developmental Psychology, 41(2), 428–442.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  19. Fuhs, M. W., & Day, J. D. (2011). Verbal ability and executive functioning development in preschoolers at Head Start. Developmental Psychology, 47(2), 404–416.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  20. Foster, M. A., Lambert, R., Abbot-Shim, M., McCarthy, F., & Franze, S. (2005). A model of home learning environment and social risk factors in relation to children’s emergent literacy and social outcomes. Early Childhood Research Quarterly, 20(1), 13–36.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  21. Schoon, I., Parsons, M., Rush, R., & Law, J. (2010). Childhood language skills and adult literacy: A 29-year follow-up study. Pediatrics, 125(3), e456–e466.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  22. Kogan, M. D., Ghandour, R. M., & Schempf, A. H. (2012). Introduction to the special issue of articles from the 2007 National Survey of Children’s Health. Maternal and Child Health Journal. doi:10.1007/s10995-012-1007-x.

  23. Maggi, S., Irwin, L. J., Siddiqi, A., & Hertzman, C. (2010). The social determinants of early child development: An overview. Journal of Paediatrics and Child Health, 46(11), 627–635.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  24. Raikes, H., Pan, B. A., Luze, G., Tamis-LeMonda, C. S., Brooks-Gunn, J., Constantine, J., et al. (2006). Mother-child bookreading in low-income families: Correlates and outcomes during the first three years of life. Child Development, 77(4), 924–953.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  25. Zimmerman, F. J., Christakis, D. A., & Meltzoff, A. N. (2007). Television and DVD/Video viewing in children younger than 2 years. Archives of Pediatrics and Adolescent Medicine, 161, 473–479.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  26. Tomopoulos, S., Valdez, P. T., Dreyer, B. P., Fierman, A. H., Berkule, S. B., Kuhn, M., et al. (2007). Is exposure to media intended for preschool children associated with less parent-child shared reading aloud and teaching activities? Ambulatory Pediatrics, 7, 18–24.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  27. Pagani, L. S., Fitzpatrick, C., & Barnett, T. A. (2010). Prospective associations between early childhood television exposure and academic, psychosocial, and physical well-being by middle childhood. Archives of Pediatrics and Adolescent Medicine, 164, 425–431.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  28. Mol, S. E., & Bus, A. G. (2011). To read or not to read: A meta-analysis of print exposure from infancy to early adulthood. Psychological Bulletin, 137(2), 267–296.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  29. Anderson, D. R., & Pempek, T. A. (2005). Television and very young children. The American Behavioral Scientist, 48(5), 505–522.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  30. Kirkorian, H. L., Pempek, T. A., Murphy, L. A., Schmidt, M. E., & Anderson, D. R. (2009). The impact of background television on parent-child interaction. Child Development, 80(5), 1350–1359.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  31. Vandewater, E. A., Bickham, D. S., & Lee, J. H. (2006). Time well spent? Relating television use to children’s free-time activities. Pediatrics, 117(2), e181–e191.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  32. Pebley, A. R., Sastry, N. (2004). Neighborhoods, poverty, and children’s well-being. In K. N. Neckerman (Ed.), Social inequality (pp. 119–145). New York: Russell Sage Foundation.

  33. Hofferth, S. (2006). Response bias in a popular indicator of reading to children. Social Methodology, 36(1), 301–315.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  34. Brooks-Gunn, J., Berlin, L. J., & Fuligni, A. S. (2000). Early childhood intervention programs: What about the family? In J. P. Shonkoff & S. J. Meisels (Eds.), Handbook on early childhood intervention (2nd ed., pp. 549–588). New York, NY: Cambridge University.

    Chapter  Google Scholar 

  35. Brooks-Gunn, J., & Markham, L. B. (2005). The contribution of parenting to ethnic and racial gaps in school readiness. The Future of Children, 15(1), 139–168.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  36. Mensah, F. K., & Kiernan, K. E. (2010). Maternal general health and children’s cognitive development and behavior in the early years. Child: Care, Health and Development, 37(1), 44–54.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  37. Son, S.-H., & Morrison, F. J. (2010). The nature and impact of changes in home learning environment on development of language and academic skills in preschool children. Developmental Psychology, 46(5), 1103–1118.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  38. Leventhal, T., & Brooks-Gunn, J. (2000). The neighborhoods they live in: The effects of neighborhood residence upon child and adolescent outcomes. Psychological Bulletin, 126, 309–337.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  39. Klebanov, P. K., Brooks-Gunn, J., & Duncan, G. J. (1994). Does neighborhood and family poverty affect mothers’ parenting, mental health, and social support? Journal of Marriage and the Family, 56, 441–455.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  40. Sharkey, P., & Elwert, F. (2011). The legacy of disadvantage: Multigenerational neighborhood effects on cognitive ability. American Journal of Sociology, 116(6), 1934–1981.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  41. Kohen, D. E., Leventhal, T., Dahinten, V. S., & McIntosh, C. N. (2008). Neighborhood disadvantage: Pathways of effects for young children. Child Development, 79(1), 156–169.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  42. Brooks-Gunn, J., Duncan, G. J., & Aber, J. L. (1997). Neighborhood poverty: Context and consequences for children. New York: Russell Sage Foundation.

    Google Scholar 

  43. Sampson, R. J., Morenoff, J. D., & Gannon-Rowley, T. (2002). Assessing “neighborhood effects:” Social processes and new directions in research. Annual Review of Sociology, 28, 443–478.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  44. Olds, D. L., Sadler, L., & Kitzman, H. (2007). Programs for parents of infants and toddlers: Recent evidence from randomized trials. Journal of Child Psychology and Psychiatry and Allied Disciplines, 48(3/4), 355–391.

    Google Scholar 

  45. Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act, Pub. L. No. 111-148, § 2591, 124 Stat. 122 (2010).

Download references

Conflict of interest

The author has no financial interests relevant to this article to disclose.

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Health Resources and Services Administration, Maternal and Child Health Bureau, 5600 Fishers Lane, Rm 18-41, Rockville, MD, 20857, USA

    Mary Kay Kenney

Authors
  1. Mary Kay Kenney
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Mary Kay Kenney.

Additional information

The views in this article are those of the author and not necessarily those of the Health Resources and Services Administration of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Kenney, M.K. Child, Family, and Neighborhood Associations with Parent and Peer Interactive Play During Early Childhood. Matern Child Health J 16 (Suppl 1), 88–101 (2012). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10995-012-0998-7

Download citation

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10995-012-0998-7

Keywords

Search

Navigation