Socioeconomic and gender group differences in early literacy skills: a multiple-group confirmatory factor analysis approach

Educational Research and Evaluation : an International Journal on Theory and Practice
Julia Ai Cheng Lee, Stephanie Al Otaiba

Abstract

Socioeconomic status and gender are important demographic variables that strongly relate to academic achievement. This study examined the early literacy skills differences between 4 sociodemographic groups, namely, boys ineligible for free or reduced-price lunch (FRL), girls ineligible for FRL, boys eligible for FRL, and girls eligible for FRL. Data on kindergarteners (N = 462) were analysed using multiple-group confirmatory factory analysis. Early literacy skill differences between boys and girls are more nuanced than previously reported; subsidy status and gender interact. Both boys and girls from high-poverty households performed significantly lower than the girls from low-poverty households in alphabet knowledge, phonological awareness, and spelling. There were gender gaps, with a female advantage, among children from high-poverty households in alphabet knowledge and spelling and among children from low-poverty households in alphabet knowledge. These results highlight the importance of employing methodologically sound techniques to ascertain group differences in componential early literacy skills.

References

Oct 1, 1995·Journal of Learning Disabilities·G W MacDonald, A Cornwall
Sep 5, 2002·Annual Review of Psychology·David H Arnold, Greta L Doctoroff
Feb 13, 2004·Journal of Child Psychology and Psychiatry, and Allied Disciplines·Frank R VellutinoDonna M Scanlon
Apr 2, 2004·American Journal of Community Psychology·Siobhan M TooheyBeth C Weitzman
Dec 11, 2013·Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society of London. Series B, Biological Sciences·Charles Hulme, Margaret J Snowling
Jul 1, 2010·Learning Disability Quarterly : Journal of the Division for Children with Learning Disabilities·Stephanie Al OtaibaJulia Lee

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Citations

Sep 12, 2019·NPJ Science of Learning·Eveline L de ZeeuwDorret I Boomsma
Jul 15, 2017·Reading & Writing Quarterly : Overcoming Learning Difficulties·Julia Ai Cheng Lee, Stephanie Al Otaiba

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