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Digest of Education Statistics: 2008
Digest of Education Statistics: 2008

NCES 2009-020
March 2009


Table 114. Children's specific language, literacy, mathematics, color knowledge, and fine motor skills at about 4 years of age, by age of child and selected characteristics: 2005–06
Age and selected characteristic Percentage distribution of children Language Literacy Mathematics Color knowledge–
percent
scoring
10 out of 109 
Fine motor score10 
Receptive vocabulary score1  Expressive vocabulary score2  Overall
literacy
score3 
Percent proficient
at letter recognition4 
Phonological awareness score5  Conventions of print score6  Overall mathematics score7  Percent proficient
in numbers
and shapes8 
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12
Less than 48 months                                            
Total (†) 7.8 (0.07) 2.1 (0.04) 10.7 (0.23) 22.9 (0.92) 3.0 (0.03) 2.0 (0.05) 18.7 (0.25) 44.8 (1.42) 49.0 (1.89) 2.5 (0.05)
48 through 57 months                                            
Total 100.0 (†) 8.6 (0.03) 2.4 (0.02) 13.2 (0.14) 32.7 (0.55) 3.3 (0.02) 2.5 (0.03) 22.8 (0.15) 65.4 (0.75) 63.6 (0.84) 3.4 (0.02)
Sex of child                                            
Male 51.6 (0.48) 8.4 (0.04) 2.3 (0.03) 12.7 (0.18) 30.8 (0.68) 3.3 (0.02) 2.4 (0.03) 22.3 (0.19) 62.3 (1.00) 61.3 (1.11) 3.1 (0.04)
Female 48.4 (0.48) 8.8 (0.05) 2.6 (0.02) 13.7 (0.20) 34.8 (0.76) 3.4 (0.03) 2.6 (0.04) 23.3 (0.18) 68.7 (0.93) 66.1 (1.29) 3.7 (0.04)
                                             
Race/ethnicity of child                                            
White 54.7 (0.69) 9.2 (0.05) 2.6 (0.03) 14.2 (0.21) 36.8 (0.79) 3.5 (0.03) 2.7 (0.04) 24.2 (0.21) 73.1 (0.99) 71.0 (1.11) 3.5 (0.03)
Black 13.3 (0.37) 8.0 (0.08) 2.4 (0.04) 12.0 (0.31) 28.3 (1.24) 3.2 (0.04) 2.3 (0.06) 20.6 (0.34) 54.7 (1.85) 55.3 (2.44) 3.2 (0.06)
Hispanic 24.9 (0.56) 7.4 (0.08) 2.1 (0.04) 10.7 (0.25) 23.0 (1.00) 3.0 (0.03) 2.0 (0.05) 20.1 (0.27) 51.4 (1.48) 50.2 (1.79) 3.3 (0.06)
Asian 2.5 (0.13) 7.9 (0.09) 2.1 (0.05) 17.5 (0.38) 49.4 (1.48) 3.9 (0.05) 3.3 (0.07) 26.3 (0.32) 81.2 (1.52) 70.7 (2.36) 4.5 (0.09)
Pacific Islander 0.1 (0.03) (†) (†) (†) (†) (†) (†) (†) (†) (†) (†)
American Indian/Alaska Native 0.5 (0.05) 7.9 (0.16) 2.1 (0.09) 9.6 (0.62) 18.8 (2.42) 2.9 (0.08) 1.8 (0.12) 17.6 (0.83) 39.9 (3.33) 43.9 (3.83) 3.0 (0.18)
More than one race 3.9 (0.31) 9.0 (0.12) 2.5 (0.05) 13.9 (0.51) 35.4 (1.88) 3.5 (0.08) 2.7 (0.10) 23.0 (0.56) 65.4 (2.71) 63.1 (2.97) 3.5 (0.11)
                                             
Primary type of care arrangement11                                             
No regular nonparental arrangement 18.2 (0.69) 8.1 (0.10) 2.3 (0.04) 11.4 (0.26) 25.6 (1.00) 3.1 (0.04) 2.2 (0.05) 20.6 (0.32) 53.4 (1.63) 51.6 (2.04) 3.1 (0.05)
Home-based care                                            
Relative care12  13.1 (0.65) 8.3 (0.09) 2.3 (0.05) 11.4 (0.31) 25.8 (1.23) 3.1 (0.04) 2.2 (0.06) 20.9 (0.31) 55.4 (1.69) 53.4 (2.58) 3.2 (0.07)
Nonrelative care13  7.5 (0.40) 8.6 (0.13) 2.5 (0.07) 12.8 (0.33) 31.5 (1.31) 3.3 (0.05) 2.4 (0.06) 23.2 (0.45) 67.6 (2.26) 63.8 (2.72) 3.3 (0.09)
Head Start 13.2 (0.73) 7.9 (0.08) 2.3 (0.05) 11.2 (0.23) 25.0 (0.91) 3.1 (0.03) 2.1 (0.05) 20.6 (0.31) 54.7 (1.79) 52.6 (2.55) 3.2 (0.07)
Other center-based care14  46.3 (0.83) 9.0 (0.04) 2.6 (0.03) 14.9 (0.22) 39.5 (0.84) 3.6 (0.03) 2.8 (0.04) 24.6 (0.20) 75.0 (0.91) 73.5 (1.19) 3.6 (0.04)
Multiple arrangements15  1.8 (0.23) 8.6 (0.22) 2.5 (0.10) 12.7 (0.64) 30.8 (2.49) 3.3 (0.08) 2.4 (0.12) 22.5 (0.71) 65.3 (4.67) 67.1 (5.44) 3.2 (0.23)
                                             
Mother's employment status                                            
Full-time (35 hours or more) 39.4 (0.85) 8.6 (0.05) 2.5 (0.03) 13.4 (0.21) 33.6 (0.82) 3.4 (0.03) 2.6 (0.04) 23.3 (0.18) 68.3 (0.90) 67.5 (1.09) 3.5 (0.05)
Part-time (less than 35 hours) 19.6 (0.60) 8.8 (0.07) 2.5 (0.04) 13.7 (0.24) 34.6 (0.94) 3.4 (0.03) 2.6 (0.05) 23.4 (0.26) 69.0 (1.24) 63.5 (2.06) 3.5 (0.05)
Looking for work 5.6 (0.34) 7.9 (0.14) 2.2 (0.07) 10.7 (0.39) 23.2 (1.55) 3.0 (0.05) 2.0 (0.08) 19.7 (0.58) 47.5 (3.00) 47.1 (3.83) 3.0 (0.11)
Not in labor force 34.6 (0.87) 8.6 (0.07) 2.4 (0.03) 13.1 (0.25) 32.5 (0.96) 3.3 (0.04) 2.5 (0.05) 22.4 (0.27) 63.2 (1.40) 62.1 (1.42) 3.3 (0.04)
No mother in household 0.8 (0.14) 8.2 (0.33) 2.2 (0.23) 10.7 (0.80) 23.4 (3.19) 3.0 (0.10) 2.0 (0.16) 20.6 (1.02) 53.8 (6.85) 58.7 (8.37) 3.0 (0.21)
                                             
Parents' highest level of education                                            
Less than high school 9.8 (0.42) 7.1 (0.12) 1.9 (0.06) 8.9 (0.27) 16.0 (1.07) 2.7 (0.04) 1.7 (0.06) 17.9 (0.38) 39.5 (2.07) 36.9 (2.75) 3.1 (0.09)
High school completion 25.1 (0.78) 7.9 (0.06) 2.3 (0.03) 10.6 (0.18) 22.8 (0.71) 3.0 (0.02) 2.0 (0.04) 19.9 (0.24) 50.5 (1.44) 51.3 (1.61) 3.1 (0.04)
Some college/vocational 32.0 (0.75) 8.6 (0.06) 2.5 (0.04) 12.4 (0.21) 29.8 (0.80) 3.2 (0.03) 2.4 (0.04) 22.4 (0.22) 64.5 (1.13) 64.5 (1.17) 3.4 (0.04)
Bachelor's degree 17.0 (0.57) 9.2 (0.07) 2.7 (0.04) 15.4 (0.28) 41.6 (1.12) 3.6 (0.04) 3.0 (0.05) 25.5 (0.21) 81.0 (1.04) 75.6 (1.68) 3.7 (0.08)
Any graduate education 16.2 (0.49) 9.7 (0.08) 2.7 (0.04) 18.1 (0.30) 51.9 (1.13) 4.0 (0.04) 3.5 (0.06) 27.4 (0.24) 86.0 (1.08) 81.0 (1.48) 3.9 (0.05)
                                             
Poverty status16                                             
Below poverty threshold 24.9 (0.71) 7.7 (0.06) 2.1 (0.03) 9.9 (0.17) 20.1 (0.68) 2.9 (0.02) 1.9 (0.04) 18.9 (0.22) 44.8 (1.39) 46.8 (1.76) 3.1 (0.05)
At or above poverty threshold 75.1 (0.71) 8.9 (0.03) 2.5 (0.02) 14.2 (0.16) 36.7 (0.60) 3.5 (0.02) 2.7 (0.03) 24.0 (0.16) 71.8 (0.76) 68.8 (0.91) 3.5 (0.03)
                                             
Socioeconomic status17                                             
Lowest 20 percent 19.6 (0.57) 7.3 (0.07) 2.0 (0.04) 9.2 (0.20) 17.2 (0.78) 2.8 (0.03) 1.7 (0.04) 18.0 (0.29) 40.1 (1.73) 42.8 (2.14) 3.0 (0.06)
Middle 60 percent 60.1 (0.79) 8.6 (0.04) 2.5 (0.03) 12.7 (0.14) 30.8 (0.55) 3.3 (0.02) 2.4 (0.03) 22.6 (0.17) 65.3 (0.94) 63.5 (1.06) 3.4 (0.03)
Highest 20 percent 20.3 (0.68) 9.8 (0.07) 2.8 (0.03) 18.0 (0.28) 51.2 (1.06) 4.0 (0.04) 3.4 (0.05) 27.5 (0.22) 87.1 (0.95) 81.7 (1.50) 3.9 (0.05)
58 or more months                                            
Total (†) 9.0 (0.11) 2.6 (0.04) 16.0 (0.35) 43.5 (1.31) 3.7 (0.05) 3.1 (0.07) 26.2 (0.31) 79.0 (1.20) 71.1 (2.09) 4.1 (0.07)
† Not applicable.
‡ Reporting standards not met.
1 Ability to recognize and understand spoken words or to indicate a named object by pointing. Potential score ranges from 0 to 15.
2 Verbal expressiveness using gestures, words, and sentences. Potential score ranges from 0 to 5.
3 Includes letter recognition, in both receptive and expressive modes; letter sounds; and early reading knowledge and skills. Potential score ranges from 0 to 37.
4 Ability to identify a letter by either its name or the sounds it makes. Average score can be interpreted as the percentage of children who were proficient at recognizing the letters of the alphabet. Potential score ranges from 0 to 100.
5 Measures understanding of the sounds and structure of spoken language, including rhyming, blending, segmenting, deleting, and substituting words, syllables, and sounds. Potential score ranges from 0 to 8.
6 Understanding of what print represents and how it works. Potential score ranges from 0 to 8.
7 Includes number sense, geometry, counting, operations, and patterns. Potential score ranges from 0 to 44.
8 Ability to recognize single-digit numbers and basic geometric shapes. Average score can be interpreted as the percentage of children who were proficient. Potential score ranges from 0 to 100.
9 Percentage of children who scored 10 on a test with a potential score range of 0 to 10. These children were able to name the colors of five pictured objects (2 points per correct answer).
10 Measures the ability to use fine motor skills in drawing basic forms and shapes. Potential score ranges from 0 to 7.
11 The type of nonparental care in which the child spent the most hours.
12 Care provided in the child's home or in another private home by a relative (excluding parents).
13 Care provided in the child's home or in another private home by a person unrelated to the child.
14 Care provided in places such as early learning centers, nursery schools, and preschools, excluding Head Start.
15 Children who spent an equal amount of time in each of two or more arrangements.
16 Poverty status based on Census Bureau guidelines from 2002, which identify a dollar amount determined to meet a household's needs, given its size and composition. In 2002, a family of four was considered to live below the poverty threshold if its income was less than or equal to $18,392.
17 Socioeconomic status (SES) was measured by a composite score on parental education and occupations, and family income.
NOTE: Estimates weighted by W3R0. Race categories exclude persons of Hispanic ethnicity. Detail may not sum to totals because of rounding. Standard errors appear in parentheses.
SOURCE: U.S. Department of Education, National Center for Education Statistics, Early Childhood Longitudinal Study, Birth Cohort 9-month–Preschool Restricted-Use Data File and Electronic Codebook. (This table was prepared April 2008.)