Development of Preschool Children from Disadvantaged Family Backgrounds in South Korea

This study aimed to investigate overall development of preschool children from disadvantaged family backgrounds in South Korea. 1,469 children aged 3 to 6 were involved (971 children from disadvantaged family backgrounds and 498 from ordinary family backgrounds). The result showed that children from disadvantaged family backgrounds scored significantly lower in cognitive, language, social, and motor development than those from ordinary family backgrounds. It also reported potential developmental delay pathways that delayed motor development of children from disadvantaged family backgrounds influenced their language development negatively, mediated by delayed cognitive development, and finally had a negative impact on social development indirectly.