Subsequent Academic Achievement Research Articles

Obstetrical and neonatal complications, prematurity, and childhood effortful control development: A longitudinal twin study.

Premature infants may be at risk for lower effortful control, and subsequent lower academic achievement, peer competence, and emotional and physical wellness throughout the lifespan. However, because prematurity is related to obstetrical and neonatal complications, it is unclear what may drive the effect. Effortful control also has a strong heritable component; therefore, environmental factors during pregnancy and the neonatal period may interact with genetic factors to predict effortful control development. In this study, we aimed to dissect the influences of genetics, prematurity, and neonatal and obstetrical complications on the development of effortful control from 12 months to 10 years using a twin cohort. This study used data from the Arizona Twin Project, an ongoing longitudinal study of approximately 350 pairs of twins. Twins were primarily Hispanic/Latinx (23.8%-27.1%) and non-Hispanic/Latinx White (53.2%-57.8%), and families ranged in socioeconomic status with around one third falling below or near the poverty line. Of the twins, 62.6% were born prematurely. Effortful control was assessed via parent report at six waves. There was not a significant relationship between gestational age and effortful control regardless of whether obstetrical and neonatal complications were controlled for. Biometric twin modeling revealed that the attentional focusing subdomain of effortful control was highly heritable. Gestational age did not moderate genetic and environmental estimates. Our findings help inform the risk assessment of prematurity and provide evidence for the differing etiology of each subdomain of effortful control and the strong role of genetics in effortful control development. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2024 APA, all rights reserved).

Basic science knowledge underlies clinical science knowledge and clinical problem solving: evidence from veterinary medicine.

Medical sciences education emphasizes basic science learning as a prerequisite to clinical learning. Studies exploring relationships between achievement in the basic sciences and subsequent achievement in the clinical sciences generally suggest a significant positive relationship. Basic science knowledge and clinical experience are theorized to combine to form encapsulated knowledge- a dynamic mix of information that is useful for solving clinical problems. This study explores the relationship between basic science knowledge (BSK), clinical science knowledge (CSK), and clinical problem-solving ability, as measured within the context of four veterinary colleges using both college-specific measures and professionally validated, standardized measures of basic and clinical science knowledge and problem-solving ability. Significant correlations existed among all variables. Structural equation modeling and confirmatory factor analysis were used to produce models showing that newly acquired BSK directly and significantly predicted BSK retained over time and newly acquired CSK, as well as indirectly predicted clinical problem-solving ability (mediated by newly acquired CSK and BSK retained over time). These findings likely suggest a gradual development of schema (encapsulated knowledge) and not an isolated development of biomedical versus clinical knowledge over time. A broader implication of these results is that explicitly teaching basic science knowledge positively and durably affects subsequent clinical knowledge and problem-solving ability independent of instructional strategy or curricular approach. Furthermore, for veterinary colleges specifically, student performance as measured by both course-level and standardized tests are likely to prove useful for predicting subsequent academic achievement in classroom and clinical settings, licensing examination performance, and/or for identifying students likely in need of remediation in clinical knowledge.

Pacific Islands Families Study: Food insecurity during pregnancy and secondary school educational achievement

The nutritional environment in early life is a key factor for brain development and function. It is important to understand the relationship between early life nutrition and academic achievement in adolescence. The Pacific Islands families (PIF) birth cohort(1) were born in the year 2000. When their child was 6 weeks old mothers were asked questions concerning food security over the last year. Two binary measures of food security were derived as previously used in PIF and also by the Ministry of Health (MOH). Records of academic achievement for 649 youth were obtained from the National Certificate of Educational Achievement database in 2019. Highest qualifications and a composite ranking score allowed achievement to be assessed at levels 1, 2 and 3 of NCEA and for University Entrance (UE, lowest to highest). More females (27%) than males (18%) achieved UE as their highest qualification and more males (40%) than females (31%) achieved level 1 or 2 as their highest qualification. UE was achieved by 25% of those born into food secure households and 17% from food insecure households. Logistic regression demonstrated that being female increased the odds of achieving UE 1.8 fold and food security a further 1.6 fold. The prevalence of food insecurity was not different by sex but high at 29% and 42% using the PIF and MOH measure of food insecurity respectively. This work emphasises the importance of maternal and early life food security for subsequent academic achievement and the well-being of future generations.

A Longitudinal Examination of Latinx Students’ Kindergarten Readiness with High School Achievement and Discipline Violations

Understanding achievement and discipline trajectories of Latinx students is critical given disproportionate dropout/pushout rates of Latinx students from schools across the U.S. Using a Critical Race Theory framework, the current study examined longitudinal associations amongst a sample of (N = 1672) Latinx youths’ school readiness at kindergarten entry and their subsequent academic achievement and discipline violation assignments in high school, also examining the associations with gender, socioeconomic status, English language status, and special education status. A moderated mediation analysis found that high school achievement fully mediated the negative association between kindergarten readiness and high school discipline outcomes. Gender, SES, and English language status were all found to have non-significance or poor fit as moderators. The association between kindergarten readiness and high school achievement was significant for students in general education but not in special education. Implications related to these findings, early assessment, intervention, and best school discipline practices are discussed.

Impact of private tutoring for university admission and subsequently on students' academic results

PurposeEducation can be classified into formal and informal sectors—the first category as a regular schooling system and the latter category as private tutoring. After completing secondary education, students in many countries receive education from private tutoring to get admission into the university. This study examines the effect of private tutoring on university admission and subsequent students' academic achievement at the university level.Design/methodology/approachUsing survey data from Bangladesh as a case study, this study employs a two-stage least squares (2SLS) methodology.FindingsConsidering that coaching centers offer services such as private tutoring, this study finds that an informal education for admission greatly helps academic achievement. Students who benefit from informal schooling are more likely to achieve higher grades in subsequent programs.Originality/valueThis study strongly suggests that formal education at the secondary school level is unable to meet the academic expectations that are demanded at the tertiary level. This forces the development of private tutoring, which supports the students from more financially well-off families to perform well at the cost of educational disparity.

Pacific Islands Families Study: Household Food Security during Pregnancy and Secondary School Educational Achievement.

Nutritional environment in early life is a key factor for brain development and function. It is important to understand the relationship between nutrition in early life and academic achievement in adolescence. The birth cohort of the Pacific Islands Families (PIF) study was born in the year 2000. When their child was six weeks old, mothers were asked questions concerning food security over the past year. Two binary measures of food security were derived as previously used in PIF and also by the Ministry of Health (MOH). In 2020, records of academic achievement from the National Certificate of Educational Achievement (NCEA) for 649 (317 female, 332 male) cohort members showed progressive achievement at levels 1, 2, and 3 of NCEA and allowed University Entrance (UE) to be assessed. The prevalence of food insecurity was not different for sex but high at 29% and 42% using the PIF and MOH definitions of food insecurity, respectively. More females (27%) than males (18%) achieved UE as their highest qualification, and more males (40%) than females (31%) achieved NCEA levels 1 or 2 as their highest qualification. UE was achieved by 25% of those born into food-secure households and 17% from food-insecure households. Logistic regression demonstrated that the odds of achieving UE were 1.8-fold (95% CI 1.2, 2.6, p = 0.003) higher in females than males and, independently, 1.6-fold (95% CI 1.1, 2.5 p = 0.026) higher if the household was food secure. This work emphasises the importance of maternal and early-life food security for subsequent academic achievement and the well-being of future generations.

Completion of upper secondary education: Predictions of the psychosocial learning environment and academic achievement

BackgroundLack of upper secondary school completion (dropout) is a serious concern. Psychosocial factors of the learning environment, such as perceived emotional support from teachers and loneliness among peers remain largely unstudied as predictors of completion. AimsThe main aim of this five-year longitudinal study was to investigate whether psychosocial learning environment factors experienced early in upper secondary school contribute to the likelihood of school completion; either directly, or indirectly via academic achievement. SampleParticipants were 1241 upper secondary school students in Norway. MethodsA longitudinal panel design combining register data and student self-reports was implemented. Register data included GPA from the end of lower secondary school, GPA from the end of first of year of upper secondary school, and upper secondary school completion. Self-reports included perception of emotional support from teachers and loneliness among peers in the first year of upper secondary school. Control variables were gender, study track, and immigrant background. A structural equation model with completion (vs. dropout) as the outcome was estimated in Mplus. ResultsAn indirect positive effect on completion was found for emotional support from teachers, mediated by subsequent academic achievement. A direct negative effect on completion was found for loneliness among peers. Among students with pronounced loneliness, completion rate was 10 percentage points lower than among those reporting no loneliness. ConclusionsLoneliness among peers was identified as a substantial risk factor for school dropout. On the other hand, findings indicate that sufficient perceived emotional support from teachers can promote completion.

Spanking and parental verbal aggression during early childhood: Association with later academic achievement and the mediating role of executive function

AbstractSpanking and parental verbal aggression are potentially toxic stressors that can negatively affect children's academic achievement by disrupting mental skills like executive function. Yet little empirical evidence has been provided for this mediating pathway. This study used data from the Early Childhood Longitudinal Study Kindergarten Cohort of 2010–2011 (n = 11,421) to examine the associations between early childhood exposure to spanking and parental verbal aggression and subsequent academic achievement. We also investigated the mechanism for these associations by exploring the mediating role of executive function within those associations. Findings revealed that spanking and parental verbal aggression in kindergarten and first grade were negatively associated with reading and math scores in fifth grade, controlling for demographics and initial academic performance. Executive function (i.e., inhibitory control, cognitive flexibility and working memory) accounted for more than half (50%–57%) and more than one fourth (24%–31%) of the total effects of spanking and verbal aggression on academic achievement, respectively. Findings provide important evidence for early intervention programs aiming to promote children's academic achievement and executive function by interfering or preventing harsh discipline.Highlights We examined the pathway from spanking and verbal aggression in early childhood to academic achievement in later school years through executive function. Path analysis results show executive function was a significant mediator in the negative associations between academic achievement in fifth grade and early exposure to spanking and aggression. Besides avoiding harsh parenting, intervention programs to support child academic achievement could also target promoting executive function development.

Associations of Household Food Insecurity With Academic Outcomes in Early Adolescents.

Food insecurity is characterized by limited access to adequate food due to a lack of money or resources (eg, lack of transportation to obtain food). School aged children who are experiencing food insecurity are at greater risk for poor academic outcomes, but previous studies have not examined the effects of food insecurity on specific academic outcomes over time. This study examined food insecurity as a risk factor for subsequent academic skills, enablers, and achievement. As part of a larger longitudinal study, middle school students (N = 112; meanage = 12.14, SD = 0.41; 50% female; 68% black/African American, 14% white, 13% Hispanic or Latino, 5% other) reported on food insecurity at baseline, while teachers reported on students' academic skills and enablers at both baseline and 12 months later at 1 year follow up. Math and English/Language Arts grades were obtained from the schools at each wave. Food insecurity predicted lower academic skills over time but was unrelated to academic enablers and grades. Considering a whole school, whole community, whole child (WSCC) framework, this study will also discuss the important role schools and communities have in reducing food insecurity in middle school students. These results support negative long-term effects of food insecurity on academic skills in early adolescents.

The Impact of an Elementary Whole-School Nurturing Approach: A Controlled Multiple-Perspective Follow-Up Study

Introduction. Children’s social and emotional wellbeing is associated with subsequent academic achievement and behavioural outcomes, as well as functioning in later life. Nurturing approaches are one way of developing such wellbeing. Whole-school approaches to nurturing have been discussed in the literature, but no studies of any quality have evaluated effects. The aim of this study was to evaluate whether whole-school nurturing had any effect on children’s wellbeing from the perceptions of pupils, parents and teachers. Method. The present study in primary (elementary) schools is controlled, has follow-up, and multiple perspectives from teachers, parents and pupils. Pupils (n=322) from Years/Grades 1, 3 and 4 (aged 6, 8 and 9) (Years limited by school staff time availability) in three intervention and three control schools and their parents and teachers participated over two years. On a pre-post basis, the Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire (SDQ) was used with teachers and parents and the Stirling Children’s Wellbeing Scale (SCWS) with pupils. Results. On the SDQ for Teachers, the pre-post Total Difficulties scores and the Prosocial scores were significantly better for the intervention than the control group. On the SDQ for Parents, both intervention and control groups improved, and there was no difference. On the SCWS for Children, again both intervention and control groups improved, and there was no difference. Discussion and Conclusion. The nurturing intervention group was significantly better than controls according to the perceptions of Teachers, but for parents and children both intervention and control groups improved. A number of recommendations for future research were made, and implications for practitioners and policy-makers outlined.

Associations between sleep trajectories up to 54 months and cognitive school readiness in 4 year old preschool children.

This study explores the association between the duration and variation of infant sleep trajectories and subsequent cognitive school readiness at 48-50 months. Participants were 288 multi-ethnic children, within the Growing Up in Singapore Towards healthy Outcomes (GUSTO) cohort. Caregiver-reported total, night and day sleep durations were obtained at 3, 6, 9, 12, 18, 24 using the Brief Infant Sleep Questionnaire and 54 months using the Child Sleep Habits Questionnaire. Total, night and day sleep trajectories with varying durations (short, moderate, or long) and variability (consistent or variable; defined by standard errors) were identified. The cognitive school readiness test battery was administered when the children were between 48 and 50 months old. Both unadjusted adjusted analysis of variance models and adjusted analysis of covariance models (for confounders) were performed to assess associations between sleep trajectories and individual school readiness tests in the domains of language, numeracy, general cognition and memory. In the unadjusted models, children with short variable total sleep trajectories had poorer performance on language tests compared to those with longer and more consistent trajectories. In both unadjusted and adjusted models, children with short variable night sleep trajectories had poorer numeracy knowledge compared to their counterparts with long consistent night sleep trajectories. There were no equivalent associations between sleep trajectories and school readiness performance for tests in the general cognition or memory domains. There were no significant findings for day sleep trajectories. Findings suggest that individual differences in longitudinal sleep duration patterns from as early as 3 months of age may be associated with language and numeracy aspects of school readiness at 48-50 months of age. This is important, as early school readiness, particularly the domains of language and mathematics, is a key predictor of subsequent academic achievement.

Associations between adolescent students' multiple domain task value-cost profiles and STEM aspirations.

According to the modern expectancy-value theory, students' task values may differ across domains, manifesting as varying motivational patterns. In middle school, students' motivation becomes increasingly apparent and may direct their future occupational aspirations. Using a person-oriented approach, this study examines students' self-concept, and positive and negative task values (i.e., utility value, intrinsic value, and emotional cost) across Finnish language, math, biology, and physics, and the stability of the identified profiles. Further, the associations of the profiles with students' subsequent academic achievement and math and natural science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM)/health science STEM aspirations, and gendered effects were examined. Longitudinal data was collected through Grades 7 to 9 in 21 middle schools in Helsinki, Finland (N = 1,309, N = 1,179, N = 818, respectively; age 13-15 years; 55.9% female). Latent profile analysis (LPA) identified four task value profiles in Grades 7 and 8: Low motivation high cost STEM (13%/13%) showed low task values with high cost, especially in math and physics; High motivation low cost STEM (7%/8%) showed the highest task values with the lowest cost, especially in math and physics; High motivation high cost (18%/17%) showed high task values and cost across domains; and Moderate motivation and cost (62%/62%) showed moderate task values and cost across domains. The latent transition analysis identified Moderate motivation and cost as the most stable profile across 2 years. In comparison to the other profiles, students with a Low motivation high cost STEM profile were less likely to have STEM aspirations in Grade 9. These results suggests that majority of middle school students are highly to moderately motivated in various domains, however, some students simultaneously experience high cost. It may reflect the increasingly difficult courses and study demands in middle school.

The quality of early caregiving and teacher-student relationships in grade school independently predict adolescent academic achievement

Prior research has demonstrated that teacher-student relationships characterized by high levels of closeness and low levels of conflict are associated with higher levels of academic achievement among children. At the same time: (a) some research suggests that the quality of teacher-student relationships in part reflects the quality of early caregiving, and (b) the observed quality of early care by primary caregivers robustly predicts subsequent academic achievement. Given the potential for associations between teacher-student relationship quality and academic achievement to thus be confounded by the quality of early parenting experiences, the present study examined to what extent children’s experiences in early life with primary caregivers (i.e., ages 3 to 42 months) and relationships with teachers during grade school (i.e., Kindergarten to Grade 6) were uniquely associated with an objective assessment of academic achievement at age 16 years in a sample born into poverty (N = 267; 45% female; 65% White/non-Hispanic; 41% of mothers did not complete high school). Early maternal sensitivity, though a strong predictor of later academic achievement, was not reliably associated with either teacher-reports or interview-based assessments of teacher-student relationship quality in grade school. Nonetheless, early maternal sensitivity and teacher-student relationship quality were each uniquely associated with later academic achievement, above and beyond key demographic variables. Taken together, the present results highlight that the quality of children’s relationships with adults at home and at school independently, but not interactively, predicted later academic achievement in a high-risk sample.

Number Sense Development During the Preschool Years: Relations Within and Between Key Skill Indicators

ABSTRACT Research Findings: This study examined age-based developmental trajectories of four key number sense (NS) skills within an accelerated longitudinal design. Using data from 408 preschoolers, ages 45 to 68 months, linear and latent basis growth curves were evaluated. Results indicated growth across NS skills was best represented as nonlinear for all but number naming. Significant variation in initial performance at 45 months was evident across skills, as was significant variation in growth for all skills but number naming. Practice or Policy: Mathematical skills at kindergarten entry have been supported as strong predictors of subsequent academic achievement as well as social emotional skills. Results of this study advance our understanding of the development of key skills in early mathematics during the preschool period and provide additional information about patterns of development of key NS skills across the preschool years. This information can be used to inform measurement development, consider timing of assessment practices, and promote targeted instruction in early education.

Oral Health and Academic Achievement of Children in Low-Income Families

Low-income children have higher rates of unmet oral health needs. Prior research suggests that poor oral health is associated with lower academic performance but uses cross-sectional and mostly parent-reported measures. This study examined the association between oral health during the first 5 y of life and subsequent academic achievement for low-income children. Birth certificates of children born in Iowa in 1999–2009 were linked to Medicaid enrollment and dental claims data in 1999–2014 and reading and math standardized school test scores for grades 2 through 11. The following oral health measures were examined: having minor dental treatments (mostly surface fillings), major dental treatments (mostly crowns and pulpotomy) or extractions, and comprehensive dental exams during the first 5 y of life. Regression models were estimated adjusting for sociodemographic factors, early infant health, and school district effects. The sample included 28,859 children and 127,464 child-grade observations. In total, 21%, 12%, and 62% of children had at least 1 minor dental treatment, 1 major treatment or extraction, and 1 comprehensive dental exam in the first 5 y of life, respectively. Children who received a minor dental treatment had higher reading and math scores by 1 percentile (95% CI, 0.09–1.9) and 0.9 percentiles (95% CI, 0.02–1.8), respectively. Children who had a major dental treatment or extraction had lower reading and math scores by 2.4 (95% CI, −3.5 to −1.4) and 1.8 (95% CI, −2.8 to −0.8) percentiles. Children who had a comprehensive oral exam had higher reading and math scores by 0.7 (95% CI, 0.06–1.4) and 1.2 (95% CI, 0.6–1.9) percentiles. The findings suggest that children’s oral health before school age is associated with academic achievement later during school years.

Peer victimization, learning flow, and academic achievement: Longitudinal relations among Chinese elementary school students.

This study explored the relations among peer victimization (i.e., physical, relational, and cyberbullying victimization), learning flow, and academic achievement among elementary school students, using a seven-wave longitudinal design across four consecutive semesters. Participants were 1,440 students from Grades 3 and 4 in China (Mage = 9.91 years, 52.4% male). Measures of peer victimization and learning flow were completed in the middle of every semester, from the second to fourth semesters. Academic achievement was measured via students' final exam scores in Chinese, Math, and English at the end of each semester. The results indicated that: (a) relational victimization, but not physical and cyberbullying victimization, directly predicted subsequent lower academic achievement; in the reverse path, lower academic achievement predicted all three types of subsequent peer victimization; (b) learning flow directly predicted academic achievement and vice versa; and (c) learning flow mediated the relations between the three types of peer victimization and lower academic achievement. The findings suggested that educational experiences are needed that both protect elementary school students from relational victimization and facilitate learning flow to promote students' academic achievement. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2022 APA, all rights reserved).

Differential return on investment: Academic growth in mathematics and reading based on initial performance.

Students vary in their initial achievement when they enter school and their rate of academic growth as they move through school. These differences have implications for classroom instruction and educational policy. Although previous research has examined initial achievement and growth differences, a gap remains in understanding how initial level of achievement interacts with subsequent growth as children move through school. Using Vygotsky's zone of proximal development (ZPD) and return on investment as theoretical grounding, this registered report examined how students' initial academic performance relative to their school predicts their subsequent academic achievement. The stage 1 accepted registered report is available at https://osf.io/9zmak/. Specifically, we tracked the achievement of a cohort of students who started at or above their school's mean at the beginning of third grade and tested a range of hypotheses regarding their achievement and growth as well as which students showed the greatest gains from their time in school. Using a large database of student academic achievement in the United States, this registered report included de-identified data from all students from fall 2014 to spring 2017 in grades three through five from the ten US states with the highest participation for the Northwest Evaluation Association's Measures of Academic Progress (MAP®) - a computer adaptive test of academic achievement in mathematics and reading. Because the MAP is taken at least twice per school year, up to six scores were included on mathematics and reading achievement for effective samples of approximately 220,000 students. We built separate reading and mathematics three-level piecewise longitudinal hierarchical linear models (student repeated measures, nested within students, nested within schools) to model student growth from the beginning of third grade to the end of fifth grade (i.e., three academic years and two summers). For both mathematics and reading, average student achievement growth slowed as they progressed from third through fifth grade. From there, the findings diverged. In mathematics, student growth was mostly similar across achievement levels and grades from third through fifth. However, in reading, above-average students demonstrated slower growth than average students during the school year but faster growth during the summer. Also of note, at the beginning of third grade, the highest achieving students outscored average students in their school by more than 2 years in mathematics and 3 years in reading. Our results may be able to be explained via a ZPD model, which posits development only occurs when students are placed in appropriately challenging environments. In mathematics, the observed pattern of relatively consistent growth across achievement levels suggests average students were just as likely to be in their ZPD as higher achieving students. In reading, as initial achievement increased, student reading growth slowed, which suggests the higher the initial achievement, the less likely students were to be in their ZPD. If a goal of education is for students to learn new things, our results suggest existing school offerings in reading are not meeting that goal equitably for students across the performance spectrum. Differential growth patterns should be considered when designing learning experiences for students who enter with a wide range of prior mastery.

The interplay between maternal homework involvement, task-avoidance, and achievement among adolescents.

This study examined three aspects of maternal homework involvement (i.e., the quantity, quality, and source of initiative) and their direct and indirect associations with adolescents' task-avoidant behavior in homework situations and academic achievement. The sample consisted of Finnish mothers and their adolescents who were transitioning from primary to lower secondary school. Mothers rated the quantity of their homework involvement (i.e., monitoring and help), quality of their homework involvement (i.e., autonomy support and psychological control), and source of initiative (i.e., mother- vs. adolescent-initiated monitoring and help) at the beginning of Grade 6. They also reported on adolescents' task avoidance in homework situations at the beginning of Grade 7. Information on adolescents' academic achievement in the spring terms of Grades 5 and 7 was obtained from school registers. The results showed that high maternal psychological control and mother-initiated monitoring were associated with poorer subsequent academic achievement directly and indirectly through higher levels of adolescent task avoidance. Moreover, poor prior academic achievement was associated with higher levels of subsequent task avoidance directly and indirectly through high maternal psychological control and mother-initiated monitoring. Overall, the results highlight the importance of bringing mothers' knowledge and awareness to their self-initiated and controlling involvement practices and helping them to support adolescents' learning and motivation in more optimal ways. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2021 APA, all rights reserved).

Psychological resources, dropout risk and academic performance in university students – pattern-oriented analysis and prospective study of Hungarian freshmen

AbstractA growing number of studies support the idea that academic performance is based on specific psychological resources and cognitive abilities. As early university dropout is a widespread problem, it is increasingly important to explore which psychological resources can enhance learning, academic motivation, and achievement during the transition from high school to university. The goal of our study was to explore the psychological resources at the start of the studies linked to subsequent academic achievement. Coping mechanisms, time perspective, self-esteem, mindset, motivation, and test anxiety were measured using questionnaires in a voluntary online study among first-year university students (N = 1113, 53.0 % female). Using exploratory factor analysis, we identified three different factors of psychological resources: ‘Academic achievement focus’, ‘Self-confidence’, and 'Search for interests’. Based on the factor scores, hierarchical cluster analysis identified five subgroups of students. These subgroups showed differential association with first semester GPA and the number of attained credits. The combination of a focus on high academic achievement but low self-confidence could be traced as characteristics predicting the highest risk of decreased achievement and loss of credits. These results indicate that training in psychological resources could support academic achievement and prevent university dropout.

Associations of language-based bedtime routines with early cognitive skills and academic achievement: A follow-up from kindergarten to middle school.

This study aimed to investigate the extent to which language-based bedtime routines (LBR) reported by parents before kindergarten were associated with early cognitive skills at kindergarten and subsequent academic achievement in typically developing children. We followed a community-based sample of 664 French-speaking adolescents from kindergarten (5-6years) to the end of middle school (15years). Kindergarten measures included a parental questionnaire aimed at assessing the presence or absence of any kind of LBR, such as storytelling, looking at children's books, reading a story, listening to songs, or singing nursery rhymes, as well as family contextual characteristics. Children also performed standardized assessments of oral language, pre-reading skills, and non-verbal reasoning. In middle school, children sat a national diploma typically used as an indicator of general academic achievement in Grade 9. After adjusting for family characteristics, the presence of language-based bedtime routines (57%) predicted cognitive-academic skills in kindergarten, and was positively associated with academic achievement at Grade 9, related to the beneficial effect on children's vocabulary in kindergarten. The presence of language-based bedtime routines may provide an indicator of positive parental behaviour including exposure to literacy activities, contributing to children's early cognitive development and subsequent academic achievement.