Table 220.30.

Children's reading, language, mathematics, color knowledge, and fine motor skills at about 4 years of age, by child's age and selected characteristics: 2005-06

[Standard errors appear in parentheses]
Age and selected characteristic	Number of children (in thousands)		Percentage distri-  bution of children		Average early reading scale score1		Expressive vocabulary (telling stories) score2		Average mathematics scale score3		Color knowledge–percent scoring 10 out of 104		Fine motor score5
1	2		3		4		5		6		7		8
Less than 48 months
Total	645	(22.3)	100.0	(†)	21.5	(0.32)	2.1	(0.04)	24.5	(0.31)	49.0	(1.89)	2.5	(0.05)
Sex of child
Male	324	(15.8)	50.3	(1.79)	20.7	(0.48)	1.9	(0.05)	23.5	(0.44)	41.8	(3.03)	2.3	(0.07)
Female	321	(16.3)	49.7	(1.79)	22.4	(0.43)	2.2	(0.06)	25.5	(0.45)	56.1	(2.40)	2.8	(0.06)
Socioeconomic status6
Lowest 20 percent	121	(11.3)	18.7	(1.50)	16.7	(0.35)	1.8	(0.09)	19.1	(0.52)	16.2	(3.65)	2.0	(0.10)
Middle 60 percent	380	(16.7)	58.9	(1.67)	21.0	(0.39)	2.1	(0.04)	24.2	(0.39)	50.9	(2.57)	2.6	(0.06)
Highest 20 percent	144	(10.7)	22.4	(1.59)	26.3	(0.67)	2.2	(0.07)	29.2	(0.64)	67.8	(2.97)	2.9	(0.09)
48 through 57 months
Total	2,939	(23.2)	100.0	(†)	25.5	(0.22)	2.4	(0.02)	29.7	(0.20)	63.6	(0.84)	3.4	(0.02)
Sex of child
Male	1,516	(18.2)	51.6	(0.48)	24.6	(0.26)	2.3	(0.03)	29.2	(0.25)	61.2	(1.12)	3.1	(0.04)
Female	1,423	(18.4)	48.4	(0.48)	26.4	(0.29)	2.6	(0.02)	30.3	(0.24)	66.1	(1.29)	3.7	(0.04)
Race/ethnicity of child
White	1,604	(22.9)	54.7	(0.69)	27.4	(0.30)	2.6	(0.03)	31.6	(0.28)	71.0	(1.11)	3.5	(0.03)
Black	391	(11.5)	13.3	(0.37)	22.9	(0.46)	2.4	(0.04)	26.9	(0.44)	55.3	(2.44)	3.2	(0.06)
Hispanic	729	(18.1)	24.9	(0.56)	21.2	(0.36)	2.1	(0.04)	26.2	(0.34)	50.2	(1.79)	3.3	(0.06)
Asian	74	(3.6)	2.5	(0.12)	30.5	(0.56)	2.1	(0.05)	34.7	(0.42)	70.7	(2.37)	4.5	(0.09)
Pacific Islander	4	(0.7)	0.1	(0.03)	22.2	(2.24)	2.1	(0.18)	26.3	(3.41)	39.0	(9.21)	3.0	(0.34)
American Indian/Alaska Native	15	(1.5)	0.5	(0.05)	20.1	(0.89)	2.1	(0.09)	23.2	(0.98)	44.1	(3.83)	3.0	(0.18)
Two or more races	115	(9.0)	3.9	(0.31)	27.3	(0.89)	2.5	(0.06)	30.2	(0.82)	62.7	(3.04)	3.5	(0.12)
Primary type of nonparental care      arrangement7
No regular nonparental    arrangement	535	(20.8)	18.2	(0.69)	22.9	(0.41)	2.3	(0.04)	26.9	(0.41)	51.6	(2.04)	3.1	(0.05)
Home-based care
Relative care8	384	(18.8)	13.1	(0.65)	23.0	(0.44)	2.3	(0.05)	27.3	(0.42)	53.4	(2.58)	3.2	(0.07)
Nonrelative care9	220	(11.8)	7.5	(0.40)	25.1	(0.51)	2.5	(0.07)	30.2	(0.58)	63.8	(2.72)	3.3	(0.09)
Head Start	386	(22.3)	13.2	(0.73)	22.2	(0.35)	2.3	(0.05)	26.8	(0.40)	52.8	(2.55)	3.2	(0.07)
Other center-based care10	1,358	(26.2)	46.3	(0.83)	28.0	(0.32)	2.6	(0.03)	32.2	(0.27)	73.5	(1.19)	3.6	(0.04)
Multiple arrangements11	52	(6.8)	1.8	(0.23)	24.6	(0.93)	2.5	(0.10)	29.3	(0.92)	67.1	(5.44)	3.2	(0.23)
Mother's employment status
Full-time (35 hours or more)	1,149	(26.5)	39.4	(0.85)	25.6	(0.30)	2.5	(0.03)	30.3	(0.24)	67.5	(1.09)	3.5	(0.05)
Part-time (less than 35 hours)	573	(17.7)	19.6	(0.60)	26.3	(0.35)	2.5	(0.04)	30.6	(0.35)	63.5	(2.06)	3.5	(0.05)
Looking for work	163	(9.9)	5.6	(0.34)	21.7	(0.57)	2.2	(0.07)	25.8	(0.74)	47.1	(3.83)	3.0	(0.11)
Not in labor force	1,010	(27.1)	34.6	(0.88)	25.5	(0.39)	2.4	(0.03)	29.3	(0.35)	62.1	(1.42)	3.3	(0.04)
No mother in household	22	(4.0)	0.8	(0.14)	21.6	(1.35)	2.3	(0.24)	26.3	(1.25)	57.3	(8.79)	3.0	(0.21)
Parents' highest level      of education
Less than high school	292	(11.9)	9.9	(0.41)	18.7	(0.41)	1.9	(0.06)	23.6	(0.47)	37.3	(2.74)	3.1	(0.09)
High school completion	672	(24.1)	22.9	(0.79)	21.6	(0.28)	2.3	(0.03)	25.9	(0.30)	52.0	(1.64)	3.1	(0.04)
Some college/vocational	998	(23.5)	34.0	(0.76)	24.3	(0.30)	2.5	(0.03)	28.9	(0.28)	63.4	(1.29)	3.4	(0.04)
Bachelor's degree	498	(17.6)	17.0	(0.57)	28.8	(0.40)	2.7	(0.04)	33.2	(0.28)	75.6	(1.69)	3.7	(0.08)
Any graduate education	475	(14.6)	16.2	(0.49)	33.0	(0.43)	2.7	(0.04)	36.2	(0.33)	81.0	(1.48)	3.9	(0.05)
Poverty status12
Below poverty threshold	732	(21.0)	24.9	(0.71)	20.5	(0.26)	2.1	(0.03)	24.6	(0.28)	46.9	(1.76)	3.1	(0.05)
At or above poverty threshold	2,207	(28.4)	75.1	(0.71)	27.0	(0.24)	2.5	(0.02)	31.3	(0.21)	68.8	(0.91)	3.5	(0.03)
Socioeconomic status6
Lowest 20 percent	576	(17.2)	19.6	(0.57)	19.3	(0.31)	2.0	(0.04)	23.6	(0.35)	43.1	(2.15)	3.0	(0.06)
Middle 60 percent	1,768	(27.3)	60.2	(0.77)	24.7	(0.22)	2.5	(0.03)	29.3	(0.23)	63.5	(1.07)	3.4	(0.03)
Highest 20 percent	594	(20.4)	20.2	(0.68)	32.7	(0.43)	2.8	(0.03)	36.2	(0.33)	81.6	(1.51)	3.9	(0.05)
58 months or more
Total	356	(16.4)	100.0	(†)	29.7	(0.58)	2.6	(0.04)	34.5	(0.44)	71.1	(2.09)	4.1	(0.07)
Sex of child
Male	179	(12.1)	50.3	(2.21)	29.0	(0.77)	2.6	(0.06)	34.2	(0.64)	66.5	(3.05)	3.7	(0.10)
Female	177	(10.5)	49.7	(2.21)	30.4	(0.76)	2.7	(0.06)	34.8	(0.51)	75.9	(2.49)	4.4	(0.10)
Socioeconomic status6
Lowest 20 percent	91	(8.0)	25.5	(2.26)	22.3	(0.91)	2.1	(0.11)	28.4	(0.97)	47.4	(5.25)	3.6	(0.14)
Middle 60 percent	215	(14.7)	60.5	(2.47)	30.0	(0.75)	2.7	(0.05)	34.9	(0.54)	76.0	(2.63)	4.1	(0.10)
Highest 20 percent	50	(6.9)	14.0	(1.84)	40.3	(2.31)	2.9	(0.10)	42.8	(1.15)	88.5	(2.89)	4.7	(0.18)

†Not applicable.

1 Reflects performance on language and literacy items (e.g., conventions of print, letter recognition, understanding of letter-sound relationships, phonological awareness, sight word recognition, and understanding words in the context of simple sentences). Potential score ranges from 0 to 85.

2 Verbal expressiveness using gestures, words, and sentences. Potential score ranges from 0 to 5.

3 Includes number sense, geometry, counting, operations, and patterns. Potential score ranges from 0 to 71.

4 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).

5 Measures the ability to use fine motor skills in drawing basic forms and shapes. Potential score ranges from 0 to 7.

6 Socioeconomic status (SES) was measured by a composite score based on parental education and occupations, and family income.

7 The type of nonparental care in which the child spent the most hours.

8 Care provided in the child's home or in another private home by a relative (excluding parents).

9 Care provided in the child's home or in another private home by a person unrelated to the child.

10 Care provided in places such as early learning centers, nursery schools, and preschools, excluding Head Start.

11 Children who spent an equal amount of time in each of two or more types of arrangements.

12 Poverty status based on Census Bureau guidelines from 2005, which identify a dollar amount determined to meet a household's needs, given its size and composition. In 2005, a family of four was considered to live below the poverty threshold if its income was less than or equal to $19,971.

NOTE: Estimates weighted by W3R0. Estimates pertain to a sample of children who were born in 2001. This table was designed to present data collected when the children were about 4 years of age (i.e., 48 to 57 months old). As shown in the table, some children were younger or older than this at the time data were collected, although 75 percent were within the target age range. Race categories exclude persons of Hispanic ethnicity. Detail may not sum to totals because of rounding and survey item nonresponse. Some data have been revised from previously published figures.

SOURCE: U.S. Department of Education, National Center for Education Statistics, Early Childhood Longitudinal Study, Birth Cohort (ECLS-B), Longitudinal 9-Month–Kindergarten 2007 Restricted-Use Data File. (This table was prepared December 2010.)