TY - JOUR
T1 - Pathways to reading, mathematics, and science
T2 - Examining domain-general correlates in young Chinese children
AU - Zhang, Xiao
AU - Hu, Bi Ying
AU - Ren, Lixin
AU - Fan, Xitao
N1 - Funding Information:
The study and the preparation of the manuscript were supported by the project “A Longitudinal Study on the Effects of Preschool Program Quality on Children's Learning and Development Outcomes” funded by the University of Macau [Multi-Year Research Grant; MYRG20l5-00156-FED].
Publisher Copyright:
© 2017 Elsevier Inc.
PY - 2017/10
Y1 - 2017/10
N2 - Early competencies in reading, mathematics, and science are associated with later school achievement and adulthood socioeconomic status. This cross-sectional study examined how fundamental domain-general capacities, including language, spatial, and self-regulatory skills, together relate to competencies in reading, mathematics, and science in young Chinese children. A total of 584 Chinese children aged approximately six years were tested individually on their language (receptive vocabulary), spatial (spatial perception, spatial visualization, and mental rotation), and self-regulation (behavioral regulation and working memory) skills, as well as their academic competencies in reading, mathematics, and science. The results showed that vocabulary, spatial, and self-regulatory skills were all associated with Chinese reading, mathematics, and life sciences, whereas only vocabulary was related to earth and physical sciences. The relation between vocabulary and formal mathematics and that between mental rotation and life sciences were found to be stronger in boys than in girls. The findings suggest that foundational domain-general skills may provide the building blocks for children's academic competencies.
AB - Early competencies in reading, mathematics, and science are associated with later school achievement and adulthood socioeconomic status. This cross-sectional study examined how fundamental domain-general capacities, including language, spatial, and self-regulatory skills, together relate to competencies in reading, mathematics, and science in young Chinese children. A total of 584 Chinese children aged approximately six years were tested individually on their language (receptive vocabulary), spatial (spatial perception, spatial visualization, and mental rotation), and self-regulation (behavioral regulation and working memory) skills, as well as their academic competencies in reading, mathematics, and science. The results showed that vocabulary, spatial, and self-regulatory skills were all associated with Chinese reading, mathematics, and life sciences, whereas only vocabulary was related to earth and physical sciences. The relation between vocabulary and formal mathematics and that between mental rotation and life sciences were found to be stronger in boys than in girls. The findings suggest that foundational domain-general skills may provide the building blocks for children's academic competencies.
KW - Chinese children
KW - Language
KW - Mathematics
KW - Reading
KW - Science
KW - Self-regulation
KW - Spatial skills
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=85030096048&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1016/j.cedpsych.2017.09.004
DO - 10.1016/j.cedpsych.2017.09.004
M3 - Article
AN - SCOPUS:85030096048
SN - 0361-476X
VL - 51
SP - 366
EP - 377
JO - Contemporary Educational Psychology
JF - Contemporary Educational Psychology
ER -