Speaking in Numbers: The Effect of Reading Performance on Math Performance Among Immigrants
18 Pages Posted: 3 Dec 2015
There are 2 versions of this paper
Speaking in Numbers: The Effect of Reading Performance on Math Performance Among Immigrants
Speaking in Numbers: The Effect of Reading Performance on Math Performance Among Immigrants
Date Written: November 9, 2015
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
JEL Classification: I210, I240, Z130
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