From the abstract: "Using a national data set from the Early Childhood Longitudinal Study Birth Cohort, we examined factors associated with approximately 700 young African American boys’ pre-academic skills. The factors examined included (a) family characteristics, behaviors, and beliefs; (b) nonparental care literacy activities; and (c) child health, aggression, and approaches to learning (e.g., curiosity, independence, and persistence). High achieving boys are contrasted with other boys, along the following dimensions: familial, early childhood program, child characteristics and practices and their pre-academic skills, and whether the  association  was  moderated  by  achievement  status.  Regression analyses indicated that some aspects of family, preschool, and child characteristics were associated with African American boys’ early outcomes,  especially  parental  caretaking  (e.g.,  bathing  and  brushing teeth) and approaches to learning (e.g., persistence and attention). Recommendations for educational practices and policies were offered."