This study examined the heterogeneity in the co-developmental trajectories of reading and math performance (i.e., parallel changes in the initial scores and growth patterns) and identified the number, size and shape of the co-developmental trajectory across elementary and middle schools. In addition, this investigation focused on how an early childhood dysregulation profile (DP; indexed by a high co-occurrence of emotional, behavior, and attention problems) was associated with distinct co-developmental trajectories of reading and math performance. Specifically, we examined whether early childhood DP level can predict (a) membership assignment into each distinct co-development group and (b) variability in initial scores and changes in growth with each distinct co-development group. Participants were 784 academically at-risk students (47 % girls) predominantly from low socioeconomic status families who were recruited in first grade (Mean age = 6.57 years) and followed annually through the final year of middle school (ninth grade). Results revealed two distinct co-developmental trajectories of reading and math performance, including (a) a lower initial reading (higher increasing) and higher initial math (lower increasing) class (85.3 %) and (b) a lower initial math (higher increasing) and higher initial reading (lower increasing) class (14.7 %). Our results provided evidence for the compensatory pattern of co-developmental trajectories, indicating initial skills grow at a faster rate than the initial high. Further, early childhood DP was not associated with the membership assignment for these two distinct classes, which means that regardless of children’s early DP level, they have equal chances to be assigned to each of the classes. However, children with higher parent and teacher-reported DP in first grade demonstrated lower initial scores and a slower improvement rate in both classes after controlling for kindergarten literacy skills, gender, ethnicity, intelligence, socioeconomic status, and grade retention. Our study findings demonstrated (a) substantial heterogeneity in the co-developmental trajectories of reading and math performance across elementary and middle school ages; and (b) the importance of promoting self-regulation beginning in early childhood, especially for academically at-risk children in families facing economic challenges.

中文翻译：

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幼儿期失调特征对中小学阅读和数学成绩平行增长轨迹的预测作用

本研究考察了阅读和数学成绩共同发展轨迹的异质性（即初始分数和成长模式的平行变化），并确定了中小学共同发展轨迹的数量、大小和形状。此外，这项调查的重点是儿童早期失调特征（DP；以情绪、行为和注意力问题的高度共现为索引）如何与阅读和数学表现的独特共同发展轨迹相关。具体来说，我们检查了幼儿 DP 水平是否可以预测（a）每个不同共同发展组的成员分配以及（b）每个不同共同发展组的初始分数和生长变化的变化。参与者是 784 名学业有风险的学生（47% 是女孩），主要来自社会经济地位较低的家庭，他们在一年级招募（平均年龄 = 6.57 岁），并每年进行跟踪直至中学最后一年（九年级）。结果揭示了阅读和数学表现的两种不同的共同发展轨迹，包括（a）较低的初始阅读（较高的增加）和较高的初始数学（较低的增加）班级（85.3％）和（b）较低的初始数学（较高的增加） ）和较高的初始读数（较低的增加）等级（14.7 %）。我们的结果为共同发展轨迹的补偿模式提供了证据，表明初始技能的增长速度比最初的高点要快。此外，幼儿 DP 与这两个不同班级的成员分配无关，这意味着无论儿童的早期 DP 水平如何，他们都有平等的机会被分配到每个班级。然而，在控制幼儿园识字技能、性别、种族、智力、社会经济地位和成绩保留率后，家长和老师报告的一年级 DP 较高的儿童在两个班级中表现出较低的初始分数和较慢的进步速度。我们的研究结果表明：（a）中小学各年龄段阅读和数学成绩的共同发展轨迹存在显着异质性；(b) 从幼儿期开始促进自我调节的重要性，特别是对于面临经济挑战的家庭中学业有风险的儿童。