How Home Enrichment Mediates the Relationship Between Maternal Education and Children's Achievement in Reading and Math

Abstract

Research Findings: This article addresses the mediating role of early childhood home enrichment in the association between maternal education and academic achievement in the reading and math of 1,093 children aged 7 (Grade 1). Data were extracted from the National Institute of Child Health and Human Development database. We used the bootstrapping procedure, a new method recently developed to assess multiple mediator effects simultaneously. Five potential mediating aspects of naturally occurring enriching home environments (HOME) were measured at 54 months of age: learning materials, learning stimulation, parental responsiveness, modeling of social maturity, and variety in experience. Gender differences in the mediating role of aspects of home enrichment were also examined for the letter–word reading and math subscales of the Woodcock–Johnson Psychoeducational Battery–Revised. Results indicated that all 5 aspects of home enrichment mediated the association between maternal education and reading achievement, and 4 aspects of home enrichment mediated this association for math achievement. Some aspects of home enrichment were gender specific. Practice or Policy: Theoretical and practical implications of the findings are discussed.