Predicting Adolescent Math Achievement With Preschool Math Skills

• In Event: Roundtable Session 27
  In Roundtable Session: Roundtable: Predictors of Mathematics Learning and Achievement

Abstract

This paper attempts to identify what specific domains of preschool math learning are most predictive of later elementary and high school math achievement. Using longitudinal data from the NICHD Study of Early Child Care and Youth Development, we categorized Woodcock Johnson-R Applied Problems questions answered by 54 month old children into three domains: counting, classification, and addition and subtraction. We then employed OLS regression analyses to predict math achievement at 1st grade, 3rd grade, 5th grade, and 15 years using our categories of 54 month math competence. Of the three categories, we found addition and subtraction proficiency at age 54 months to be highly predictive of math achievement at age 15 years.

Authors

• Tyler Watts, University of California - Irvine

• Maureen Spanier, University of California - Irvine

• Greg Duncan, University of California - Irvine