Work

Maternal Education and the Link Between Birth Timing and Children's School Readiness*

Year: 2015

Type: article

Abstract: OBJECTIVE: This study explored whether mothers' education magnified the benefits of their fertility delays for their children. METHODS: Multiple-group path modeling assessed whether and why the positive association between mothers' age at first birth and children's test scores was greater for children of college educated women than children of other women. RESULTS: Older age at first birth was associated with higher math and reading test scores among the children of college educated women via their mothers' higher income and cognitive support for children. These mediational paths were less pronounced among the children of high school educated women and were not observed among the children of high school dropouts. CONCLUSION: The potential for women's delayed fertility to have benefits for their children's early educational experiences depended on their own educational attainment.

Source: Social Science Quarterly

DOI: 10.1111/ssqu.12150

Authors: Jennifer March Augustine, Kate C. Prickett, Sarah M. Kendig, Robert Crosnoe

Institutions: University of South Carolina, The University of Texas at Austin, Arkansas State University

Language: English

Topic: Family Dynamics and Relationships

Subfield: Demography

Field: Social Sciences

Domain: Social Sciences

SDGs: Quality education, Reduced inequalities

Open Access status: green

Funder: Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development