Family structure and child cognitive outcomes: Evidence from Canadian longitudinal data

Ana Ferrer and Yazhuo Pan

No 16, CLEF Working Paper Series from Canadian Labour Economics Forum (CLEF), University of Waterloo

Abstract: This study investigates the role of family structure on cognitive outcomes of children. Using the rich panel data information from the National Longitudinal Survey of Children and Youth (NLSCY), collected on children and their families biennially since 1994, we investigate the association between a child's math & reading performance and family structure and changes in family structure. We find that children who stay-in or move-to non-intact families have lower reading scores than those who stay in intact families. Although initial findings indicate that family structure appears to have overall little effect on children's math performance, analysis by gender reveals that girls' performance appears to be more affected than boys' by their parents' divorce/remarriage or the presence of step-family members. Moreover, analysis by heritage reveals that family structure affects the math performance of children of French heritage differently from those of other Canadian heritage, while the impact on reading scores is similar between these two groups. A similar result follows our analysis of religious groups. The impact of family structure differs between children in Catholic families and those in Non-Catholic families for math performance, but is similar for reading performance.

Keywords: Family structure; transition in family structure; family instability; academic performance of children (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: I20 J12 J13 J16 Z12 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2018
New Economics Papers: this item is included in nep-dem
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (3)

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Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:zbw:clefwp:16

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