Early Schooling of Children at Risk

The purpose of this study was to develop and test a longitudinal early schooling process model of first- and second-year reading achievement, mathematics achievement, and socio-emotional maturity with 1539 low-income minority children. Data were collected from children and teachers over four time periods and included school readiness attributes, intervening kindergarten influences, and intervening first-year social-psychological influences. LISREL estimation of the model yielded an acceptable fit with the data. Major results indicated that cognitive readiness in kindergarten had pervasive indirect effects on first- and second-year outcomes, and that variables directly alterable by families and schools—prekindergarten experience, motivation, mobility, and parent involvement—significantly influenced either directly or indirectly early school outcomes. The influence of sex (in favor of girls), prior achievement, motivation, and school mobility increased over time. Despite some limitations, a major implication is that efforts to improve school success of children at risk are most likely to be successful if they are both timely and multifaceted and if mediating factors in kindergarten and first-grade are in place. Also, research on early schooling must take account of complex processes and effects and reconsider overlooked variables.