ABSTRACT
The basic proposition of this research effort is that the family unit, however structured, provides the primal source of influence on the child’s cognitive development as the only social unit wherein biogenetic and social factors merge. The family, in turn, is embedded in a larger, complex social network comprised of many significant individuals who provide an array of experiences that influence the child as the child influences others (Feiring & Lewis, 1987; Lewis, 1982; Sigel, 1991). In this chapter we examine the role the family plays as a provider of a social environment influencing cognitive development. Our particular focus is on parents’ teaching behaviors, which are expressions of their beliefs as to how children come to achieve representational competence. Such competence provides the foundation for subsequent academic proficiency in reading and mathematics.
