저소득.일반가정 유아의 학습관련 기술과 초기학습능력: 어머니 교육참여의 조절효과를 중심으로

Abstract

This study investigated the effects of young children's learning-related skills and the maternal involvement on academic abilities. The sample consisted of 310 children from 7 child-care centers located in Seoul and Gyeonggi Province. All variables were measured by the teachers and the mothers of surveyed children. The instrument included the Korean Child Development Inventory(K-CDI) for 4 to 6-year olds and Preschool Learning Behavior Scale(McDermott et al 2000) and the questionnaire on mother's involvement about their children's education. The collected data was analyzed by t-test and hierarchical regression using the SPSS Program. The findings are as follows. First, regardless of the family income level, verbal comprehension and numerical abilities were positively associated with their learning-related skills of young children. Second, the interaction effect of learning-related skills and the mothers' involvement on verbal comprehension of young children in the low-income families was observed. However, no interaction effect was seen in terms of learning-related skills and the maternal involvement on verbal comprehension and numerical abilities of young children in the high-income families. These findings highlight the importance of learning-related skills and their mothers' involvement during the preschool period for the low-income family in improving the early academic achievement.