Predicting Early Academic Achievement: The Role of Teacher Ratings, Cognitive and Motor Skills, and Gender
Early elementary education represents a critical period for the development of foundational reading and mathematics skills. This study investigated the relative contributions of teacher ratings, cognitive abilities, fine motor skills, and gender to academic achievement in a sample of 129 primary school students (Grades 2–5; M age = 9.1 years, SD = 1.2; 68 girls). Reading and mathematics performance were assessed using decoding and arithmetic tasks, respectively. Predictor variables included teacher ratings of academic performance, processing speed, visual-spatial working memory, fine motor speed, visuomotor integration, and gender. Hierarchical regression analyses revealed that teacher ratings were the strongest predictors of reading achievement but were less predictive of mathematics outcomes. Processing speed significantly predicted both reading and mathematics performance. Working memory showed no significant effect on mathematics and a negative association with reading after motor skills were included in the model, suggesting a suppression effect. Fine motor skills emerged as unique contributors to reading, but not mathematics, highlighting their specific relevance for literacy acquisition. Gender differences were observed only in mathematics, where boys outperformed girls; no significant gender effect was found for reading. These findings highlight the importance of integrating teacher evaluations with cognitive and motor assessments to gain a better understanding of early academic achievement.