Speaking in numbers: The effect of reading performance on math performance among immigrants

Ingo Isphording, Marc Piopiunik () and Núria Rodriguez-Planas

Economics Letters, 2016, vol. 139, issue C, 52-56

Abstract: This paper is the first to estimate a causal effect of immigrant students’ reading performance on their math performance. To overcome endogeneity issues due to unobserved ability, we apply an IV approach exploiting variation in age-at-arrival and the linguistic distance between origin and destination country languages. Using four PISA waves, we find a strong influence of reading performance on math performance, highlighting the importance of early language support for immigrants for their educational career.

Keywords: Immigrants; Language; Math performance; Linguistic distance; Age-at-arrival; Instrumental variable (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: I21 I24 Z13 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2016
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (9)

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Related works:
Working Paper: Speaking in numbers: The effect of reading performance on math performance among immigrants (2016)
Working Paper: Speaking in Numbers: The Effect of Reading Performance on Math Performance among Immigrants (2015)
Working Paper: Speaking in Numbers: The Effect of Reading Performance on Math Performance among Immigrants (2015)
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Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:eee:ecolet:v:139:y:2016:i:c:p:52-56

DOI: 10.1016/j.econlet.2015.11.031

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