Cognitive Development Among Young Children in Ecuador: The Roles of Wealth, Health and Parenting

We examine the relationship between early cognitive development, socio-economic status (SES), child health, and parenting in a developing country. Using a sample of over 3000 preschool age children from Ecuador, we analyze determinants of children’s scores on a widelyused test of language ability. Household socioeconomic characteristics, in particular wealth and parental education, are “protective”—children from wealthier households and with more educated parents have higher scores. This is especially true for older children. Child health and parenting quality are associated with test scores, and account for a portion, although not the majority, of the association between SES and cognitive development.