A Study on Role of Mothers Education for the Psycho-Social and Cognitive Development in Children
The present evaluation of Early Head Start concerns the effects of household income and mother’s education on child cognitive development. A secondary data analysis is performed on the Early Head Start Research and Evaluation study public use file, in which cognitive development is measured using the Bayley Mental Development Index and the Peabody Picture Vocabulary Test. Household income is measured as a percentage of the federal poverty level, with households earning up to 100 percent of the poverty level annually considered low income. Mother’s education is determined by possession of a high school diploma. Results of multiple and simultaneous linear regressions are presented. Early Head Start is found to positively affect cognitive development among children whose mothers have earned a high school diploma, while its effectiveness for low income households is less significant. Implications for early childhood interventions are discussed, as well as areas for future research.
