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. 2015 Dec;96(4):970-984.
doi: 10.1111/ssqu.12150. Epub 2015 Apr 17.

Maternal Education and the Link between Birth Timing and Children's School Readiness

Jennifer Augustine  1 , Kate Chambers Prickett  2 , Sarah Kendig  3 , Robert Crosnoe  2
Affiliations

Maternal Education and the Link between Birth Timing and Children's School Readiness

Jennifer Augustine et al. Soc Sci Q. 2015 Dec.

Abstract

Objective: This study explored whether mothers' education magnified the benefits of their fertility delays for their children.

Methods: Multiple-group path modeling assessed whether and why the positive association between mothers' age at first birth and children's test scores was greater for children of college educated women than children of other women.

Results: Older age at first birth was associated with higher math and reading test scores among the children of college educated women via their mothers' higher income and cognitive support for children. These mediational paths were less pronounced among the children of high school educated women and were not observed among the children of high school dropouts.

Conclusion: The potential for women's delayed fertility to have benefits for their children's early educational experiences depended on their own educational attainment.

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