Race/Ethnicity and Early Mathematics Skills: Relations Between Home, Classroom, and Mathematics Achievement

This study used Early Childhood Longitudinal Study–Kindergarten Cohort data to examine influences of the home and classroom learning environments on kindergarten mathematics achievement of Black, Latino, and White children. Regardless of race/ethnicity, children who started kindergarten proficient in mathematics earned spring scores about 7–8 points higher. There was significant variability in the home and classroom learning environments of Black, Latino, and White children and associations with these children’s mathematics scores. Nevertheless, reading at home was a significant predictor for spring mathematics scores for all groups. If children started kindergarten proficient in mathematics, the Latino-White mathematics gap, after controlling for home and classroom factors and other covariates, was no longer significant. However, the Black– White mathematics gap remained significant. If children did not start kindergarten proficient in mathematics, both the Latino–White and Black–White mathematics gaps remained significant.