Cross- and Within-Domain Associations of Early Reading and Mathematical Skills: Changes Across the Preschool Years

Abstract

Existing research has mainly examined the role of cognitive correlates of early reading and mathematics from a stationary perspective that does not consider how these skills unfold and interact over time. This approach constraints the interpretation of cross-domain associations and the specificity of domain-specific covariates. In this study, we disentangle the role of these predictors and investigate cross-domain associations between reading, math, and two related domain-specific predictors (phonological awareness and fluency with number sets) over the kindergarten years (n=512, Mage=54months, SDage=3.5, 52% females). Results reveal that the overlap between reading and math skills changes over development. Reciprocal associations between reading and math abilities are observed at earlier stages; then, reading abilities become the lead force. Findings also show that phonological awareness and fluency with number sets are domain-specific predictors that do not contribute to cross-domain gains in academic skills. Indeed, there is a trend for domain-specific skills to be more strongly related to achievement at the beginning of formal education than at the beginning of kindergarten, which suggests an increasing differentiation of domains over the kindergarten years. Such findings have implications for the timing and nature of interventions that aim to support children’s reading and mathematical development.

Contributions of linguistic, quantitative, and spatial attention skills to young children's math versus reading: Same, different, or both?

“…Various studies have demonstrated a strong correlation between reading and math (e.g., Brock et al, 2018;Chu et al, 2016;Cirino et al, 2018;Davis et al, 2014;Hecht et al, 2001;Huo et al, 2021;Korpipää et al, 2017Korpipää et al, , 2019Kwok et al, 2021;Landerl & Kolle, 2009;Lerkkanen et al, 2005;Markowitz et al, 2005;Peters et al, 2020;Willcutt et al, 2013). For example, children with mathematical learning disabilities are often found to have reading difficulties (Landerl & Kolle, 2009;Willcutt et al, 2013).…”