Abstract
The quality of a child's early language and communication environment (ELCE) is an important predictor of later educational outcomes. However, less is known about the routes via which these early experiences influence the skills that support academic achievement. Using data from the Avon Longitudinal Study of Parents and Children (n = 7,120) we investigated relations between ELCE (<2 years), literacy and social adjustment at school entry (5 years), structural language development and social development in mid-primary school (7–9 years), and literacy outcomes (reading and writing) at the end of primary school (11 years) using structural equation modelling. ELCE was a significant, direct predictor of social adjustment and literacy skills at school entry and of linguistic and social competence at 7–9 years. ELCE did not directly explain variance in literacy outcomes at the end of primary school, instead the influence was exerted via indirect paths through literacy and social adjustment aged 5, and, language development and social development at 7–9 years. Linguistic and social skills were both predictors of literacy skills at the end of primary school. Findings are discussed with reference to their potential implications for the timing and targets of interventions designed to improve literacy outcomes.
| Original language | English |
|---|---|
| Number of pages | 25 |
| Journal | Oxford Review of Education |
| Early online date | 11 Nov 2020 |
| DOIs | |
| Publication status | E-pub ahead of print - 11 Nov 2020 |
Funding
We are extremely grateful to all the families who took part in this study, the midwives for their help in recruiting them, and the whole ALSPAC team, which includes interviewers, computer and laboratory technicians, clerical workers, research scientists, volunteers, managers, receptionists and nurses. We would also like to acknowledge the contributions of Peter Clough, Witold Orlik, and Ciara Broomfield. The U.K. Medical Research Council and Wellcome (Grant 102215/2/13/2) and the University of Bristol provide core support for the Avon Longitudinal Study of Parents and Children (ALSPAC). This publication is the work of the authors Gibson, Newbury, Durkin, Pickles, Conti-Ramsden, and Toseeb who will serve as guarantors for the contents of this article. A comprehensive list of grant funding is available on the ALSPAC website ( http://www.bristol.ac.uk/alspac/external/documents/grant-acknowledgements.pdf ). The analysis undertaken in this article was specifically funded by the Economic and Social Research Council (Grants ES/P001955/1 and ES/P001955/2). G. C.-R. is supported by the National Institute for Health Research (NIHR) Manchester. A. P. is partially supported by NIHR NF-SI-0617-10120 and the Biomedical Research Centre at South London and Maudsley National Health Service Foundation Trust and King’s College London. The views expressed are those of the author(s) and not necessarily those of the National Health Service, the NIHR, or the Department of Health and Social Care. J. G. is partially supported by the LEGO Foundation and by the Arts and Humanities Research Council (Grant AH/N004671/1).
Keywords
- communication
- language
- linguistics
- literacy
- longitudinal
- social relationships