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ERIC Number: EJ1319344
Record Type: Journal
Publication Date: 2021-Dec
Pages: 13
Abstractor: As Provided
ISBN: N/A
ISSN: ISSN-0012-1649
EISSN: N/A
Are Math and Behavioral Skills Interrelated? A Longitudinal Analysis in Early Childhood
Fisk, Eleanor; Lombardi, Caitlin McPherran
Developmental Psychology, v57 n12 p2106-2118 Dec 2021
The interrelationships between math and behavioral skill development prior to school entry are not well understood, yet have important implications for understanding how to best prepare young children for kindergarten. This study addresses this gap by utilizing a sample of 1,750 children (53% male; 47% White, 16% Black, 16% Hispanic, 8% Asian, and 13% other or multirace) from the Early Childhood Longitudinal Study-Birth Cohort (ECLS-B) to examine the interrelationships between behavioral (parent-reported prosocial skills and externalizing problems) and math skills (directly assessed) across the ages of 4, 5, and 6 years. Results from a random intercept cross-lagged panel model (RICLPM) revealed significant between-person associations between each of these skills over time. After controlling for these between-person differences, findings identified several significant within-person associations both between and within domains, with prosocial skills at age 4 predicting both prosocial and math skills at age 5. At age 5, math skills were predictive of future math and prosocial skills at age 6. Externalizing problems were not significantly associated with either of the other skills at any time points, but did predict continued externalizing problems from ages 5 to 6. Findings highlight the importance of supporting children's prosocial and math skills in conjunction with one another during early childhood prior to school entry.
American Psychological Association. Journals Department, 750 First Street NE, Washington, DC 20002. Tel: 800-374-2721; Tel: 202-336-5510; Fax: 202-336-5502; e-mail: order@apa.org; Web site: http://www.apa.org
Publication Type: Journal Articles; Reports - Research
Education Level: Early Childhood Education; Elementary Education; Kindergarten; Primary Education; Preschool Education
Audience: N/A
Language: English
Sponsor: N/A
Authoring Institution: N/A
Identifiers - Assessments and Surveys: Early Childhood Longitudinal Survey; Social Skills Rating System
Grant or Contract Numbers: N/A