ABSTRACT

At all ages, a child who can sustain attention, regulate emotions, inhibit impulsive behaviour, and relate appropriately to adults and peers is able to take advantage of learning opportunities in the classroom, and beyond. This study assesses differences in children’s socio-emotional development according to family background, and whether early gaps in these skills widen across childhood in a contemporary UK cohort. Applying models replicating a much-discussed investigation of cognitive trajectories, it finds that large gaps in early childhood persist through school, and that children with similar initial skills diverge over time according to family background. The transition to secondary school is identified as a crucial time when disadvantaged children fall behind, and a priority for future intervention.

摘要

在所有年龄段，能够保持注意力、调节情绪、抑制冲动行为并与成人和同龄人建立适当关系的孩子都能够利用课堂内外的学习机会。本研究根据家庭背景评估儿童社会情感发展的差异，以及这些技能的早期差距是否在当代英国队列中在整个童年时期扩大。应用模型复制了一项广受讨论的认知轨迹调查，发现幼儿期的巨大差距在整个学校持续存在，并且具有相似初始技能的儿童随着时间的推移会根据家庭背景而发生分歧。向中学过渡被确定为弱势儿童落后的关键时期，也是未来干预的优先事项。