Disparities in kindergarteners’ executive functions at kindergarten entry: Relations with parenting and child care

Publication date: 3rd Quarter 2019Source: Early Childhood Research Quarterly, Volume 48Author(s): Anne Conway, Jane Waldfogel, Yi WangAbstractA growing body of research has begun to examine disparities in children’s early executive functions (EF), but few studies have examined disparities in EF based on parent education and whether parental beliefs regarding education and types of parental investments in early learning help explain them. The purpose of this study was to examine disparities in EF based on parental education at kindergarten entry and test whether parental beliefs and investments help explain these gaps. Using nationally representative data from the US Early Childhood Longitudinal Study (Kindergarten 2011) (n =  12,650), we found pronounced disparities in children’s EF at kindergarten entry, particularly for working memory. We also found that parent beliefs and investments were differentially associated with EF and that parental investments – frequent parent and child reading, a large number of books in the home, and enrollment in private center-based care – helped account for gaps in working memory.
Source: Early Childhood Research Quarterly - Category: Child Development Source Type: research