Transactional Links Between the Home Learning Environment and Children’s Math Achievement from Early Childhood to Adolescence

Decades of research have demonstrated that the home learning environment (HLE) supports children’s math development. Emerging evidence also suggests that children’s math skills may influence changes in the HLE, pointing to potential transactional associations across development. Using a national longitudinal sample (N = 1,364), we employed random intercept cross-lagged panel modeling to examine transactional associations between the HLE and children’s math achievement from early childhood (54 months) to middle childhood (fifth grade), and from middle childhood to adolescence (age 15). Findings revealed that a more enriching HLE at each wave predicted higher math achievement in each ensuing wave. In turn, children’s math achievement was also prospectively associated with greater enrichment in the HLE over time. These findings underscore the dynamic interplay between children’s academic skills and their home environments and suggest that the HLE may serve as a modifiable target for interventions designed to support math achievement across development.