During middle childhood, the period between ages 5 and 12, children gain the basic tools, skills, and motivations to become productive members of their society. Failure to acquire these basic tools can lead to long-term consequences for children's future education, work, and family life. In this book the editors assemble contributions from fifteen longitudinal studies representing diverse groups in the United States, Canada, New Zealand, and the United Kingdom to learn what developmental patterns and experiences in middle childhood contexts forecast the directions children take when they reach adolescence and adulthood. The editors conclude that, although lasting individual differences are evident by the end of the preschool years, a child's developmental path in middle childhood contributes significantly to the adolescent and adult that he or she becomes. Families, peers, and the broader social and economic environment all make a difference for young people's future education, work, and relationships with others.
Author(s): Aletha C. Huston, Marika N. Ripke
Series: Cambridge Studies in Social and Emotional Development
Edition: 1
Publisher: Cambridge University Press
Year: 2006
Language: English
Pages: 478
Cover......Page 1
Half-title......Page 3
Series-title......Page 5
Title......Page 7
Copyright......Page 8
Contents......Page 9
Contributors......Page 13
Foreword......Page 19
Acknowledgments......Page 23
what does middle childhood experience contribute?......Page 25
Contexts......Page 26
Individual and Group Differences......Page 27
Demographic Trends......Page 28
How Children Spend Their Time......Page 30
Normative Development in Middle Childhood......Page 31
Skills for Adult Life......Page 32
Family......Page 34
Schools......Page 35
Cultural, Economic, and Policy Contexts......Page 36
Family and Peers......Page 37
Family and School......Page 39
Out-of-School Time......Page 40
Economic and Public Policy Contexts......Page 41
Summary and Conclusions......Page 42
References......Page 43
development during middle childhood: why expect links to later life?......Page 47
predicting early adult competence: examining the role of middle childhood competence......Page 49
Participants......Page 50
Measures......Page 51
from middle childhood to early adult competence in work and relationships: findings......Page 56
Competence in Early Adult Work Roles......Page 57
Competence in Early Adult Relationships......Page 58
discussion and conclusions......Page 59
References......Page 62
3 Aggression and Insecurity in Late Adolescent Romantic Relationships......Page 65
Data Collection Overview......Page 68
Measures by Developmental Epoch......Page 69
Descriptive Findings and Intercorrelations Among Study Variables......Page 72
Regression Analyses......Page 74
conclusions......Page 78
References......Page 83
4 Middle Childhood Family-Contextual and Personal Factors as Predictors of Adult Outcomes......Page 86
individual/personal influences during middle childhood......Page 87
the role of gender......Page 88
Description of Sample in Waves 1 and 4......Page 89
Procedures in Waves 1 and 4......Page 90
Measures......Page 91
Gender Differences in Middle Childhood Factors and Age-48 Outcomes......Page 94
Predicting Age-48 Aggression from the Middle Childhood Factors......Page 95
Predicting Age-48 Intellectual/Educational Achievement from the Middle Childhood Factors......Page 96
Predicting Age-48 Occupational Prestige from the Middle Childhood Factors......Page 100
Middle Childhood Contextual and Personal Predictors of Adult Aggression......Page 104
Middle Childhood Contextual and Personal Predictors of Adult Intellectual Achievement......Page 105
Implications......Page 106
References......Page 107
5 Genetic and Environment Influences on Continuity and Change in Reading Achievement in the Colorado Adoption Project......Page 111
Subjects......Page 114
Measures......Page 115
Longitudinal Genetic Analysis of Reading Achievement......Page 116
Genetic Analysis......Page 118
Analysis of Environmental Measures......Page 121
Analysis of Mediators......Page 122
discussion......Page 124
Calculation of Heritability, Environmentality, and Genetic and Environmental Correlations......Page 126
References......Page 127
6 Reciprocal Effects of Mothers’ Depression and Children’s Problem Behaviors from Middle Childhood to Early Adolescence......Page 131
evidence for child effects on mothers’ depression and for bidirectional influences in the association…......Page 132
Timing of Maternal Depression......Page 133
Gender Effects......Page 134
Participants......Page 136
Measures......Page 137
results......Page 138
Mothers’ Internalizing Symptoms and Child Antisocial Behavior......Page 140
Mothers’ Internalizing Symptoms and Children’s Anxious/Depressed Behavior......Page 144
discussion......Page 145
The Uniqueness of Middle Childhood......Page 147
Limitations......Page 148
References......Page 149
7 Middle Childhood Life Course Trajectories: Links Between Family Dysfunction and Children’s Behavioral Development......Page 154
Participants......Page 157
Measures......Page 158
Explanatory Variables......Page 159
Data Analysis Strategy......Page 160
Life Course Trajectories......Page 161
Family Dysfunction and Behavioral Development......Page 164
Family Dysfunction and Contextual Factors......Page 165
discussion......Page 167
References......Page 170
8 The Contribution of Middle Childhood Contexts to Adolescent Achievement and Behavior......Page 174
Influences on Development During Middle Childhood......Page 175
Are Middle Childhood Contexts Uniquely Important?......Page 178
Measures of Child Development......Page 179
Middle Childhood Context Measures......Page 180
Preschool Control Measures......Page 181
Do Middle Childhood Contexts Matter?......Page 182
Which Middle Childhood Contexts Matter the Most?......Page 183
Which Conditions and Contexts in Early Childhood Matter?......Page 184
Continuity of Contexts Across Childhood......Page 186
summary and implications......Page 189
References......Page 193
9 Educational Tracking Within and Between Schools: From First Grade Through Middle School and Beyond......Page 197
transitions......Page 198
models to explain tracking......Page 199
Background and Setting......Page 201
Participants......Page 202
Middle School Tracking......Page 203
Determinants of Retention over Elementary School and Middle School Placement......Page 204
Middle School Achievement......Page 208
Educational Attainment at Age 22 and Middle School Track Placements......Page 210
High School Tracking......Page 212
discussion......Page 214
The Larger Picture......Page 215
References......Page 217
school factors related to achievement......Page 222
school performance......Page 224
Participants......Page 226
Constructs and Measures......Page 227
Analytic Approach......Page 228
Growth in Literacy Skills......Page 229
Changes in Children’s School Engagement......Page 231
The Relation Between Changes in Literacy and in School Engagement......Page 232
School Differences Related to Enrollment and Climate......Page 233
discussion......Page 234
implications and conclusion......Page 237
References......Page 238
11 The Relations of Classroom Contexts in the Early Elementary Years to Children’s Classroom and Social Behavior......Page 241
school experiences and social behavior......Page 242
person–environment fit......Page 243
Sample......Page 244
Classroom Observations......Page 245
Teacher and Parent Reports of Social Behavior......Page 247
Classroom Context and Classroom Behavior in Third Grade......Page 249
Classroom Features, Social Skills, and Behavior Problems......Page 250
Gender, Income, and Ethnic Group Differences......Page 253
conclusions......Page 255
References......Page 258
12 Out-of-School Time Use During Middle Childhood in a Low-Income Sample: Do Combinations of Activities…......Page 261
background......Page 262
Sample......Page 264
Measures......Page 265
Identification of the Clusters......Page 267
Background Characteristics of Children in Different Clusters......Page 269
Relations of Cluster Membership to Children’s Achievement and Behavior......Page 272
Fixed Effect Analysis......Page 275
discussion......Page 278
References......Page 282
13 Low-Income Children’s Activity Participation as a Predictor of Psychosocial and Academic Outcomes…......Page 284
Psychosocial Development......Page 285
Academic Achievement......Page 286
low-income families......Page 287
The Sample......Page 288
Measures......Page 289
Data Analysis......Page 291
Type of Activity......Page 292
discussion......Page 300
References......Page 303
14 Healthy Mind, Healthy Habits: The Influence of Activity Involvement in Middle Childhood......Page 307
method......Page 308
Procedure......Page 309
Child Measures......Page 310
Parent Measures......Page 312
Question 1: What Is the Role of Parents in Promoting Math and Sport Activity Participation…......Page 313
Question 2: What Are the Associations Between Children’s Math and Sport Activity Participation…......Page 314
Question 3: What Outcomes Are Associated with Youths’ Activity Participation in High School Organized Sports?......Page 320
discussion......Page 321
References......Page 325
theoretical rationales for media effects......Page 327
Short-Term Effects......Page 328
Long-Term Effects......Page 329
moderators of media effects......Page 330
Experiments......Page 331
Cross-Sectional and Longitudinal Studies......Page 332
obesity and body image......Page 334
Theoretical Connections Between Television, Obesity, and Body Image Disorders......Page 335
Television Viewing and Obesity: Empirical Data......Page 336
Television Viewing and Body Image: Empirical Data......Page 337
Television Viewing, Stereotyping, and Gender Roles......Page 338
Television Viewing and Gender Stereotyping: Empirical Data......Page 339
Television, Stereotyping, and Race......Page 341
Television and School Achievement: Empirical Data......Page 342
conclusions......Page 343
References......Page 344
16 Continuity and Discontinuity in Middle Childhood: Implications for Adult Outcomes in the UK 1970 Birth Cohort......Page 351
the life course perspective......Page 352
Measures of Cognitive Development......Page 354
Adult Outcomes......Page 355
The Relationship Between Early Scores and Adult Outcomes......Page 356
Continuity and Discontinuity in Middle Childhood......Page 357
The Implications of Change......Page 361
conclusions and discussion......Page 367
References......Page 370
background......Page 374
theoretical framework......Page 375
Study Design......Page 378
Analytic Method and Standards of Evidence......Page 379
Impacts on Children in Middle Childhood......Page 380
How Do Impacts at Five Years Compare to Those at Two Years?......Page 383
Did Impacts Differ in Subgroups?......Page 384
Pathways Through Which Children Were Affected......Page 387
Toward a Broader Theoretical Framework......Page 388
Material Versus Maternal In.uence: Are Income Increases Necessary to Improve Children’s Outcomes?......Page 389
The Potential Importance of Child Gender......Page 390
Policy Implications......Page 391
References......Page 392
18 Effects of Welfare and Employment Policies on Middle-Childhood School Performance…......Page 394
Human Capital......Page 395
Values and Person–Environment Fit......Page 396
types of welfare and employment policies......Page 397
Do Welfare and Employment Policies’ Short-Term Effects on Middle-Childhood…......Page 400
Do Welfare and Employment Policies’ Long-Term Effects on Middle-Childhood…......Page 401
Do the Welfare and Employment Policies’ Long-Term Effects on Dropout Rates Differ…......Page 403
the role of human capital and person–environment fit in explaining effects…......Page 404
References......Page 405
19 Effects of a Family Poverty Intervention Program Last from Middle Childhood to Adolescence......Page 409
Employment......Page 410
Income......Page 411
Child Care and Out-of-School Activities......Page 412
Sample......Page 414
Measures......Page 415
results......Page 417
Motivation......Page 418
Family Well-Being and Parenting......Page 422
discussion......Page 423
References......Page 428
20 Experiences in Middle Childhood and Children’s Development.........Page 433
Isolating the Unique Contribution of Middle Childhood......Page 434
Middle Childhood Development Matters......Page 435
Family......Page 439
Family Management......Page 445
School......Page 446
Out-of-School Activities......Page 447
Socioeconomic Status......Page 449
Race, Ethnic Group, Nationality......Page 451
Diversity......Page 452
Advances in Data Quality......Page 453
Integration of Developmental Functions and Individual Differences......Page 454
Ethnic Diversity......Page 455
Conclusion......Page 456
References......Page 457
Author Index......Page 459
Subject Index......Page 471
