Developmental trajectories for literacy and math skills from primary to secondary school

Background Research on academic development has mainly focused on early time periods with less attention on individual differences in development in the later school years. Methods To improve our knowledge of how students develop academically during later school years, this study used a multivariate growth model to investigate the developmental trajectories of literacy and math skills in a sample of Australian students in fifth through ninth grades (n = 114). Results Students progressed at greater average rates in math from primary to secondary school than in literacy. Both literacy and math skills showed significant individual differences in growth rate at Grade 9. There was no evidence of an association between change in math and change in literacy. Primary school socioeconomic status was not a statistically significant predictor of inter-individual differences in the development of either literacy or math. Conclusions These results, taken together, suggest that both domain-general and domain-specific influences act on the development of these academic skills. Highlights What is already known about this topic We know that developmental trajectories for literacy and math skills demonstrate considerable inter-individual variation in the early school years. The Integrated Intelligent Architecture model, a cognitive model that incorporates procedural knowledge and planning behaviour with the construction-integration process, suggests that these inter-individual differences will persist into later school years. The developmental trajectories of literacy and math skills are inter-related and are likely influenced by both domain-general and, to a lesser degree, domain-specific factors. There is substantial evidence that socioeconomic status acts as a domain-general predictor of individual differences in school achievement over time. What this paper adds Much of the research to date has focused on early developmental time periods with less attention devoted to individual differences in development in the later school years. Less is known about developmental trajectories of writing. This study helps to fill these gaps by using a multivariate framework focused on the core academic outcomes of literacy and math to examine individual differences in development during the later school grades. By examining whether development in literacy is associated with development in math, or whether developmental trajectories unfold independently of each other, we can provide evidence for domain-specific or domain-general influences on academic development. SES was included as a potential domain-general predictor in the model. Implications for theory, policy or practice Our results suggested that continued knowledge-integration processes may underlie literacy and math ability in ninth grade. Additionally, this study provided evidence for domain-general and domain-specific influences on the development of academic skills from primary to secondary school. SES was not a significant domain-general predictor, suggesting that other domain-general predictors should be considered.