Hours in center-based child care become increasingly positively associated with cognitive scores and negatively associated with behavior scores starting around age 4–4½.¶

Claim · All claims
Evidence · 1 study · associational r3 · q3
Currency · newest study 2014 · not yet checked against its sources · not reviewed by a person

Subclaims¶

q3 i? Center-based care hours were near-zero predictors of outcomes in early childhood, but from about age 4–4½ became increasingly positively related to cognitive/reading and math scores and negatively related to behavior scores. → Mollborn 2014

Evidence¶

Mollborn 2014¶

Mollborn, S., Lawrence, E., James-Hawkins, L., & Fomby, P. (2014). When Do Socioeconomic Resources Matter Most in Early Childhood? Advances in Life Course Research. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.alcr.2014.03.001

q3 · i? · associational · r3

Supplemental growth curve models interacted weekly center-care hours with age and age squared (Figure 3). The authors report that care hours "became increasingly strongly related to cognitive/reading and math scores" from about age 4–4½, with a parallel negative pattern for behavior scores.

"Starting about at age 4 to 4½, the amount of time spent in center-based child care (which includes preschool) became increasingly strongly related to cognitive/reading and math scores."

Discussion¶

Related Claims¶

• The relationship between socioeconomic resources and children's cognitive development strengthens from infancy to a peak around age 4–4½, then weakens slightly by kindergarten entry. — related
• The SES–positive behavior relationship follows the same curvilinear pattern but is weaker in magnitude than the SES–cognitive relationship at every wave. — related