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

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  • Jennifer March Augustine
  • Kate C. Prickett
  • Sarah M. Kendig
  • Robert Crosnoe

Abstract

type="main"> This study explored whether mothers’ education magnified any benefits that waiting until older ages to have children might have for their children's educational careers. 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. 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. Any potential effects of women's delayed fertility on their children's early educational experiences appeared to be confined to the most educated women.

Suggested Citation

  • Jennifer March Augustine & Kate C. Prickett & Sarah M. Kendig & Robert Crosnoe, 2015. "Maternal Education and the Link Between Birth Timing and Children's School Readiness," Social Science Quarterly, Southwestern Social Science Association, vol. 96(4), pages 970-984, December.
    • Handle: RePEc:bla:socsci:v:96:y:2015:i:4:p:970-984
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    File URL: http://hdl.handle.net/10.1111/ssqu.12150
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    1. David S. Loughran & Julie M. Zissimopoulos, 2009. "Why Wait?: The Effect of Marriage and Childbearing on the Wages of Men and Women," Journal of Human Resources, University of Wisconsin Press, vol. 44(2).
    2. Blackburn, McKinley L & Bloom, David E & Neumark, David, 1993. "Fertility Timing, Wages, and Human Capital," Journal of Population Economics, Springer;European Society for Population Economics, vol. 6(1), pages 1-30.
    3. Catalina Amuedo-Dorantes & Jean Kimmel, 2005. "“The Motherhood Wage Gap for Women in the United States: The Importance of College and Fertility Delay”," Review of Economics of the Household, Springer, vol. 3(1), pages 17-48, September.
    4. Amalia R. Miller, 2009. "Motherhood Delay and the Human Capital of the Next Generation," American Economic Review, American Economic Association, vol. 99(2), pages 154-158, May.
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    Cited by:

    1. Greg J. Duncan & Kenneth T. H. Lee & Maria Rosales-Rueda & Ariel Kalil, 2018. "Maternal Age and Child Development," Demography, Springer;Population Association of America (PAA), vol. 55(6), pages 2229-2255, December.

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