Middle childhood social-emotional competencies mediate the effects of school-entry literacy and numeracy skills on secondary school reading and numeracy attainment

Emma J. Carpendale; Melissa J. Green; Sonia L.J. White; Kate E. Williams; Stacy Tzoumakis; Oliver J. Watkeys; Felicity Harris; Kirstie O'Hare; Kristin R. Laurens

doi:10.1016/j.lindif.2025.102778

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Middle childhood social-emotional competencies mediate the effects of school-entry literacy and numeracy skills on secondary school reading and numeracy attainment

Journal article

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Middle childhood social-emotional competencies mediate the effects of school-entry literacy and numeracy skills on secondary school reading and numeracy attainment

Emma J. Carpendale, Melissa J. Green, Sonia L.J. White, Kate E. Williams, Stacy Tzoumakis, Oliver J. Watkeys, Felicity Harris, Kirstie O'Hare and Kristin R. Laurens

Learning and Individual Differences, Vol.124, pp.1-9

2025

DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.lindif.2025.102778

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Abstract

Academic achievement

Collaborative for Academic, Social, and Emotional Learning

School success

Social-Emotional Learning

Student wellbeing

This research examined the extent to which students' social-emotional skills during middle childhood (age ~ 11 years) mediate longitudinal associations between literacy and numeracy skills measured at school entry (age ~ 5 years) and early secondary school (age ~ 12 years). Among 20,814 Australian students from the New South Wales Child Development Study, multi-level mediation analyses examined the indirect effect of Language and Cognitive skills (school-based; from Kindergarten teacher-report on the Australian Early Development Census) on reading and numeracy attainment (standardised scores from the Year 7 National Assessment Program–Literacy and Numeracy), through students' self-reported Self-Awareness and Self-Management (from the Middle Childhood Survey–Social-Emotional Learning in Year 6). Significant, partial mediation by Self-Awareness accounted for 37–40 % of the effect of early skills on later attainment, suggesting early skills may inform students' academic confidence, which then supports their achievement. Independent contributions of cognitive and social-emotional skills to achievement endorses formal teaching of both domains.

Details

Title: Middle childhood social-emotional competencies mediate the effects of school-entry literacy and numeracy skills on secondary school reading and numeracy attainment
Authors: Emma J. Carpendale - Queensland University of Technology
Melissa J. Green - UNSW Sydney
Sonia L.J. White - Queensland University of Technology
Kate E. Williams - University of the Sunshine Coast, Queensland, School of Education and Tertiary Access
Stacy Tzoumakis - Griffith University
Oliver J. Watkeys - UNSW Sydney
Felicity Harris - UNSW Sydney
Kirstie O'Hare - UNSW Sydney
Kristin R. Laurens (Corresponding Author) - Queensland University of Technology
Publication details: Learning and Individual Differences, Vol.124, pp.1-9
Publisher: Elsevier Ltd
Date published: 2025
DOI: 10.1016/j.lindif.2025.102778
ISSN: 1873-3425; 1041-6080
Grants: The role of social-emotional learning in attaining literacy and numeracy, FT170100294, Australian Research Council (Australia, Canberra) - ARC
Gender differences in the prevention of youth victimisation and offending, DE210100113, Australian Research Council (Australia, Canberra) - ARC
Identifying new targets for primary school mental health interventions using population data, 1058652, National Health and Medical Research Council (Australia, Canberra) - NHMRC
Developmental schizotypy in the general population: Early risk factors and predictive utility, 1148055, National Health and Medical Research Council (Australia, Canberra) - NHMRC
Organisation Unit: School of Education and Tertiary Access
Language: English
Record Identifier: 991161245702621
Output Type: Journal article

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