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Relations between Preschool Attention Span-Persistence and Age 25 Educational Outcomes
Megan M McClelland1, Alan C Acock, Andrea Piccinin
1Oregon State University.
Early Childhood Research Quarterly
|April 2, 2013
Summary
Early attention span-persistence in preschoolers significantly predicts later academic success and college completion. Children with better attention skills at age 4 show improved math and reading achievement and higher odds of graduating college.
Area of Science:
- Developmental Psychology
- Educational Psychology
Background:
- Early childhood attention span-persistence is a crucial developmental trait.
- Understanding its long-term impact on educational outcomes is vital for interventions.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the relationship between preschool attention span-persistence and later academic achievement.
- To determine if early attention predicts college completion.
Main Methods:
- Longitudinal study using data from the Colorado Adoption Project (N=430).
- Employed structural equation modeling and logistic regression analyses.
- Controlled for covariates including adopted status, vocabulary, gender, and maternal education.
Main Results:
- Age 4 attention span-persistence significantly predicted math and reading achievement at age 21.
- Early attention predicted college completion by age 25, with a direct effect not fully mediated by academic skills.
- A one standard deviation increase in attention at age 4 correlated with a 48.7% increase in college completion odds.
Conclusions:
- Early attention span-persistence is a strong predictor of long-term educational attainment.
- Interventions targeting attention skills in preschool may enhance academic and life outcomes.
- The impact of early attention extends beyond academic achievement to influence higher education completion.
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