Affiliation:
1. The Ohio State University Columbus Ohio USA
2. The University of Nebraska Lincoln Nebraska USA
Abstract
AbstractIn this preregistered study, we used latent change score models to address two research aims: (1) whether preschool‐aged children's language gains, over a year of early childhood education, were associated with later performance on state‐mandated, literacy‐focused kindergarten readiness and Grade 3 reading achievement assessments, and (2) whether gains in language, a more complex skill, predicted these outcomes after controlling for more basic emergent literacy skills. There were 724 participating children (mean = 57 months; 51% male; 76% White, 12% Black, 6% multiple races, and 5% Hispanic or Latino). We found that language gains significantly predicted kindergarten readiness when estimated in isolation (effect = 0.24 SDs, p < .001), but not when gains in letter knowledge and phonological awareness were also included.
Funder
Institute of Education Sciences
Subject
Developmental and Educational Psychology,Education,Pediatrics, Perinatology and Child Health