School‐Home Communication Predicts Children's Enjoyment of School and Academic Performance in the USA: A Mediation Analysis

Purpose Children's enjoyment of school (ES) and academic performance (AP) are two important factors of educational success. This study investigated the mechanism of the effect of school‐home communication (SHC) on ES and AP, testing the mediating roles of caregiver participation in school activities (CPSA), interactive learning (IL), and cultural learning (CL). Methods We used a nationally representative sample of 4935 children (ages 6–12) from the 2019 National Household Education Surveys. We employed structural equation models (SEM) to analyze the direct and indirect pathways among SHC, ES, and AP. Results Results showed that SHC positively predicted both ES and AP. CL partially mediated these associations, while IL only significantly mediated the association between SHC and ES. Discussion These findings highlighted the importance of caregiver involvement, including bridging communication, direct school participation, and home‐based enrichment. Implications include schools promoting structured communication systems and encouraging culturally responsive homework.