Cognitive stimulation : does it mediate or moderate the relationship between income and school readiness?
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Thesis (M.P.P.)--Georgetown University, 2010.; Includes bibliographical references.; Text (Electronic thesis) in PDF format. Socioeconomic status is a well-known predictor of school readiness, but the mechanisms through which it operates have been less salient. Using data from the Panel Study for Income Dynamics' Child Development Supplement and a multivariate regression analysis, this study tests the hypothesis that various facets of cognitive stimulation either mediate or moderate the relationship between income and school readiness. Four composites of different cognitive stimulation variables were created using factor analysis: parental engagement, reading-related behaviors in the home, learning materials used in the home, and frequency of taking children on outings for a sample of preschool-aged children. The two main findings show that 1) reading-related behaviors mediate the relationship between income and school readiness and 2) the frequency of outings moderates the relationship. Additionally, taking children on outings or to museums supports cognitive growth more for children at low levels of income than at higher income levels. These findings suggest that universal policies relating to increasing reading activities for young children are valuable. Furthermore, targeted programs focusing on increasing child activities outside the home may be particularly beneficial for low-income children.
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http://hdl.handle.net/10822/553657Date Published
2010Type
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Georgetown University
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