the long reach of early math skills - professor greg duncan

The Long Reach of Early Math Skills

Greg J. Duncan

School of Education

University of California, Irvine

How important are K-5 math skills for completed schooling?

How important are school-entry math skills for school achievement?

How important are adolescent math skills for labor market success?

Skills and Behaviors

Achievement Engagement Problem Behaviors

Description: Concrete math and reading skills

Ability to control impulses and focus on tasks

i) Ability to get along with others

ii) Sound mental health

Example test areas or question wording:

Knowing letters and numbers;

beginning word sounds, word

problems

Can’t sit still; can’t

concentrate; score from a

computer test of impulse control

i) Cheats or tells lies, bullies, is disobedient at school

ii) Is sad, moody

Skill and behavior gaps between high- and low-income kindergarteners

Series1

-10

0

+106

+53

-27 -30Kindergarten gap 5th grade gap

Math achievement

Mental health

problemsAnti-social behavior

School en-gagement

Source: Early Childhood Longitudinal Study – Kindergarten cohort.

Skill and behavior gaps between high- and low-income kindergarteners and fifth graders

Series1

-10

0

+106

+53

-27 -30

+121

+59

-42-31

Kindergarten gap 5th grade gap

Math achievement

Mental health

problemsAnti-social behavior

School en-gagement

Source: Early Childhood Longitudinal Study – Kindergarten cohort.

How important are school-entry math skills for school achievement?

How important are K-5 math skills for completed schooling?

How important are adolescent math skills for labor market success?

Effects of school-entry skills and behaviors on later achievement

0 5 10 15 20 25 30 35 400

Mental health

Reading

Math

EngagementAnti-social

Effects of school-entry skills and behaviors on later achievement

0 5 10 15 20 25 30 35 400

Mental health

Reading

MathEngagementAnti-social

Kindergarten teaching – hours/wk

All teachers Teachers in low-income schools

Reading 4.9 5.0

Math 3.1 3.1

Kindergarten student mastery vs. time spent teaching

Mastery by Fall K

Basic Counting & Shapes 95%

Patterns & Measurement 62%

Place value & Currency 25%

Addition & Subtraction 7%

11,517 students 2,176 teachers

Kindergarten student mastery vs. time spent teaching

Mastery by Fall K Mean Days/Month spent teaching

Basic Counting & Shapes 95% 12.70

Patterns & Measurement 62% 7.68

Place value & Currency 25% 8.61

Addition & Subtraction 7% 4.38

11,517 students 2,176 teachers

Instruction time and math achievement

B asi c math A d van ced math

0

-.041

+.065

All students Low-income students onlyMat

h le

arni

ng in

kin

derg

arte

n

Source: Claessens and Engel (under review)

Basic math instruction time

Advanced math instruction time

Instruction time and math achievement

B asi c math A d van ced math

0

-.041

+.065

-.029

+.056

All students Low-income students onlyMat

h le

arni

ng in

kin

derg

arte

n

Source: Claessens and Engel (under review)

Basic math instruction time

Advanced math instruction time

How important are school-entry math skills for school achievement?

How important are K-5 math skills for completed schooling?

How important are adolescent math skills for labor market success?

Effects of K-5 skills and behaviors on completed schooling

0 10 20 300

Effects of K-5 skills and behaviors on completed schooling

0 10 20 300

Anxiety Reading

Anti-socialAt-

ten-tion

Math

How important are school-entry math skills for school achievement?

How important are K-5 math skills for completed schooling?

How important are adolescent math skills for labor market success?

Effects of adolescent skills and behaviors on earnings

0 10 200

Effects of adolescent skills and behaviors on earnings

0 10 200

Anxiety Reading

Anti-socialAt-

ten-tion

Math

Why math? (preliminary)

• Structural story:

• teachers and schools provide extra opportunities for early math achievers?

• moderate math skills keeps kids out of special education?

Why math (con’t)?

• Motivational story:

• Math feedback is very concrete?

• Kids who don’t master math don’t think they are good at math or good at school?

Summary

• Early math is surprisingly important

• Kindergartent teachers spend much less time on math than reading

• Early math instruction is geared toward skills kids already know

• Math is also highly predictive of completed schooling and earnings

Greg J. Duncangduncan@uci.edu

School of Education

University of California, Irvine