Family Type and Parental Time Involvement in Educational Activities

Hiromi Ono, Washington State University
James Sanders, Washington State University

Family type has received attention as a socio-demographic dimension that structures differentials in parental time-investment. However, whether parental time involvement affects children's academic outcomes, and whether parental involvement level differs across family types remain unclear. This study examines whether: (1) parental involvement in academic activities is linked to children's academic achievement; and (2) parental involvement in academic activities differs across family types. We analyze the 1997 and 2003 waves of the Panel Study of Income Dynamics which include the Child Development Supplement. We measure family types across three union types (e.g., parental first marriage, remarriage, or cohabitation) and two parent types, as defined by step and biological parent.