This study investigated precursors of children's social skills, behavior problems and academic competence at a sensitive time of development - the transaction to the first grade of elementary school. Participants were 160 mothers from different family structure, with offspring in the first grade of elementary school, and 22 teachers. The instruments used were: Parental Practices Inventory; Social Skills Rating System; and Home Environment Resources Scale. The results indicated that negative parental practices and the quality of biological father-child relationship were the best predictors of children's behavior and academic competence. Family structure was not associated with indicators of child adjustment focused on the study.
Parent-child relations; child behavior; academic competence
