The unbroken line: Contribution of kindergarten literacy and social skills to sixth grade academic achievement

The current study investigated the contribution of kindergarten social and academic skills to children's (N = 406) sixth grade academic achievement. Correlations demonstrated the simple associations between the kindergarten and sixth grade skills, while the regression analyses confirmed the unique contribution of kindergarten literacy and social skills to sixth grade academic achievement after controlling for important child, family, and sociocultural variables. The most comprehensive structural equation model was that which included both kindergarten and third grade skills in predicting sixth grade achievement. Findings suggest that in order to understand children's academic development, parents and educators must look as early as the beginning of formal schooling for signs of difficulty so that the impact of intervention can be maximized.