From kindergarten to second grade: Socioeconomic pathways to academic performance in South Korea

Grounded in the Family Stress and Investment Models, this study examined how family SES during age 5 (kindergarten age) relates to teacher-rated academic performance at age 8 (second grade; G2) through two primary pathways: family dynamics at age 5 (home learning environment [HLE] and parenting stress) and child developmental factors at G1 (language skills and parent-reported executive functioning [EF] difficulties). This nationally representative secondary study used data from the Panel Study on Korean Children (PSKC; N = 1,304). The results from longitudinal path analysis showed that higher family SES at age 5 was not directly related to a latent construct of G2 teacher-rated academic performance (comprising Korean, math, and overall performance). Instead, its effects were mediated through higher concurrent HLE and, separately, through lower G1 EF difficulties. In addition, higher SES at age 5 was significantly related to higher G2 teacher-rated academic performance through two indirect pathways: (a) higher SES was associated with higher concurrent HLE, which in turn was linked to stronger G1 language skills, and (b) higher SES was associated with lower concurrent parenting stress, which in turn predicted fewer G1 EF difficulties. These findings indicate that both family dynamics and child developmental factors serve as key mediators, explaining how early family SES links to teacher-rated academic performance during the early elementary years. Our findings highlight the complex pathways through which SES advantages are linked to school-age educational outcomes, contributing to the literature with evidence from a South Korean sample.