Study: Kindergarten Math Curriculum Critical To Later Success

The San Diego Union-Tribune (12/28, Su) reports on the debate about the relative value in kindergarten curriculum of socialization and academics, noting that according to a new study from UC Irvine, "math skills among kindergartners turn out to be a key predictor for future academic success. Professor Greg Duncan and his colleagues analyzed studies conducted with close to 20,000 kindergartners, assessing their knowledge of math, literacy and other skills, including their ability to stay on task and make friends." The paper notes that "even after accounting for differences in IQ and family income, Duncan found that those who learned the most math in kindergarten tended to have the highest math and reading scores years later."