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Psychophysiological Assessment of the Effectiveness of Emotion Regulation Strategies in Childhood
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Psychophysiological Assessment of the Effectiveness of Emotion Regulation Strategies in Childhood

Published on: February 11, 2017

Relations between early family risk, children's behavioral regulation, and academic achievement

Michaella Sektnan1, Megan M McClelland, Alan Acock

  • 1Oregon State University, Department of Human Development and Family Sciences.

Early Childhood Research Quarterly
|October 19, 2010
PubMed

Insights

Early family risks like low income and education negatively impact children's academic achievement. Behavioral regulation skills are crucial for school success, particularly for at-risk children.

Area of Science:

  • Developmental Psychology
  • Educational Psychology
  • Child Development

Background:

  • Early family risk factors can negatively influence child development and academic trajectories.
  • Behavioral regulation is a key developmental skill emerging in early childhood.
  • Understanding the interplay between risk, regulation, and achievement is vital for educational interventions.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To examine the relationships between early family risk factors, children's behavioral regulation, and first-grade academic achievement.
  • To investigate the direct and indirect pathways through which family risk influences academic outcomes.
  • To highlight the mediating role of behavioral regulation in the context of early adversity.

Main Methods:

  • Utilized data from 1,298 children in the NICHD Study of Early Child Care and Youth Development.
  • Employed structural equation modeling to analyze the complex relationships between variables.
  • Indexed family risk by factors including ethnic minority status, maternal education, family income, and maternal depressive symptoms.

Main Results:

  • Minority status, low maternal education, and low family income significantly predicted lower first-grade reading, math, and vocabulary achievement.
  • Behavioral regulation at 54 months and kindergarten partially mediated the effects of family risk on academic achievement.
  • Maternal depressive symptoms showed indirect effects on achievement via behavioral regulation.

Conclusions:

  • Early family risk factors pose significant challenges to children's academic success.
  • Developing strong behavioral regulation skills is essential for mitigating the negative impacts of early adversity.
  • Interventions supporting behavioral regulation may enhance school readiness and achievement for vulnerable children.

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