Academic Achievement Among Children of Immigrants: A Cross-Contextual Analysis

Children with immigrant parents tend to start school with fewer of the reading and math skills necessary for early academic success, though there is significant heterogeneity by parental region of origin. Little is known about how early experiences in home and non-parental care settings contribute to the academic skills of children of immigrants. Using data from the Early Childhood Longitudinal Study birth cohort (ECLS-B, N ~= 6,850), this study examines associations between parental region of origin and children's math and reading skills at age 5. It also considers whether home and non-parental care experiences are pathways through which parental region of origin relates to academic achievement. There was significant heterogeneity in children's early reading and math skills related to region of origin. Adjusting for differences in child, socioeconomic, and family characteristics greatly attenuated links between parental region of origin and early academic skills. Early experiences in the home environment and non-parental care both attenuate and exacerbate academic skills differences based on region of origin