Study finds large disparities in pre-schoolers’ test scores based on parents’ income, education

The first three years of a child’s life is crucial for learning, so it is especially vital to get children from low-income families enrolled in pre-school as early as possible. PHOTO: LIANHE ZAOBAO
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SINGAPORE – Pre-school children with parents who are better educated or have a higher income tend to do significantly better when it comes to language and numeracy skills.

And children of parents with higher educational qualifications are more likely to do better at practising self-control and delayed gratification, where they forgo a smaller reward offered immediately in return for a bigger one if they wait.

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